Nayong Pilipino spat reaches Malacañang

MANILA - MALACAÑANG on Wednesday, February 7, urged involved parties to shed light on the reported infighting in the Nayong Pilipino Foundation (NPF).

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. said a complaint should be lodged before the Office of the President before the Palace can take appropriate action on the issue.

"Reports of an ongoing rift in the Nayong Pilipino Foundation have reached the Office of the Executive Secretary," he said in a statement. "We encourage persons with information to come forward and file a complaint with the Office of the President," he added.

NPF chairperson Patricia Yvette Ocampo has reportedly filed a cyber libel complaint against NPF board member Maria Fema Duterte, a relative of President Rodrigo Duterte, over accusations posted on a popular social media site that she is corrupt. Duterte had posted a series of cryptic posts on her Facebook account, alluding to alleged corruption in the NPF.

She had slammed the members of the NPF Board of Trustees and cited the state auditor's findings that the NPF, a governmentowned and -controlled corporation (GOCC), had "extravagant, irregular, unconscionable, immoderate, prodigal, lavish, luxurious, grossly excessive, (and) injudicious expendicious of government funds" in 2017.

She also hinted that one of the members has a dual citizenship.

"This has brought about and perpetuated the alleged corruption and nefarious activities of the BOT, which are all subject of complaints to the Office of the President, Civil Service Commission, Governance Commission for GOCC, and the Office of the Ombudsman," Duterte said.

"Mr. President, please investigate them or fire them," she said in another Facebook post.

Responding to Duterte's allegations, Ocampo admitted that she was the one being referred to as a dual citizen.

She, however, clarified that as a presidential appointee, she is not covered by the Civil Service Commission rule that disallows public officials from having dual citizenship.