Exposing anomalies in government has become a daily pursuit of a public awakened to the fact that corrupt practices should be stamped out, as another controversy was exposed by a veteran anchor on the government-led People’s Television Network (PTV) 4.
In what may be the first test of his role as Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary, Dave Gomez faces accusations from a veteran broadcaster of suppressing reports of irregularities at PTV-4.
During his live program, “Mike Abe Live,” on the state television station on Thursday, broadcast journalist Mike Abe did not mince words in revealing that the government station is mired in corruption.
He also blamed the state broadcast network for the frequent changes in its management.
“There’s no development here because managers change like they’re changing clothes. Every three or four months, a new manager comes in. So, good morning, Secretary Dave Gomez, sir, please take some action. Visit the offices under the PCO — there’s corruption there too. Those who get angry are guilty. Go ahead and get mad, I don’t care about you. This has gone too far,” Abe said.
Abe confirmed that he was sacked by Gomez on Friday, a day after his exposé.
He said he did not regret leaving the government station, as he could no longer stomach what was happening there that he was ordered to keep silent about.
Gomez had sought courtesy resignations from officials in key positions in agencies under the PCO.
In an exclusive interview with DAILY TRIBUNE, Gomez, who has been in office less than two months, said programs were underway to address Abe’s concerns.
“There are plans in the pipeline to reconstruct and upgrade the building’s facilities,” he said.
Former TAPE Inc. executive Malou Choa Fagar is the current general manager of PTV-4, appointed by Malacañang last August.
“This means that it’s not only the DPWH that has a problem in utilizing funds. The proposed budget every year, many government agencies have that kind of problem,”Abe said during a live broadcast.
Abe called on the President to focus also on the issues hounding the station, including its decaying building and equipment, which are being allocated a multi-million-peso budget for its renovation and upgrading.
The day after, Abe posted on his social media accounts that he had relinquished his post at PTV-4, as well as IBC and Radyo Pilipinas, all under the PCO.
“I told the truth, but they didn’t like it,” he said.
In his YouTube account, “Mike Abe Opinions,” Abe said he was not allowed to go on air by the PCO, confirming his resignation from PTV-4.
“It was PCO Secretary Dave Gomez who ordered the stoppage of my program, Mike Abe Live. He is the reason why you will not see me on PTV-4. He doesn’t want me to tell the truth. He doesn’t want my format, with the way I expose the problems in our country. That’s the truth,” he said.
Where is the budget?
Abe, however, maintained that he remains a follower of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and admires him for exposing corruption within the government, as he believes it is the best solution to the country’s problems.
“PTV-4 doesn’t even seem like a station under the Office of the President. The ceilings are exposed and leaking, the offices lack air conditioning, and the studios are malfunctioning — only one is still operational. The employees there have so many problems. They are pitiful. There’s a lack of maintenance, so many problems. So where’s the money? It’s a mess. The people’s television is in a sorry state,” he said.
‘No negligence; probe under way’
Gomez said the budget proposal submitted by the PCO to the House of Representatives includes the renovation of the PTV-4 building.
“In my presentation of the PCO budget at the House of Representatives two weeks ago, I mentioned to our lawmakers that PTV-4 needs funds to improve its facilities. I personally visited PTV 4 weeks ago, and yes, I have seen that it needs repair. I saw the leaking ceilings and the broken air conditioners,” he said.
He added that he asked the current management of PTV-4 to submit recommendations to improve the network’s facilities.
“They already submitted that to me last week. If Mike had talked to me first, he would surely have known that we are doing something to resolve the issue,” Gomez said.
Meanwhile, Gomez said he has ordered a thorough investigation into the allegation of corruption at the government-led network, after Abe claimed the budget allocated for the reconstruction of the building went directly to the pockets of previous PTV officials.
A source at the network said there was also a ghost project at the station — the supposed construction of a parking building for which P6 million was allocated some years ago.
To date, there’s been no construction, not even a single post, the source said.
“We will look into that also. We will get to the bottom of this,” Gomez told DAILY TRIBUNE.