MALACAÑANG HAS defended its 8888 Complaint Hot line after detained Senator Leila M. de Lima on Monday asked the Senate to investigate its implementation to ensure its effectiveness and accessibility to ordinary citizens. “Ano bang gusto niyo pa ano? Nakita niyo naman na walang tigil ang pagsisibak ni Presidente sa mga taong gobyerno na may alegasyon ng korapsyon (What else do you want? You have seen that the President has not stopped in firing corrupt government officials),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry L. Roque Jr., said. Ms. De Lima filed Senate Resolution No. 550 urging the Senate to look into the purported failure of the hot line in accommodating concerns and complaints about corruption in government offices. The hot line manned by “live agents,” created in 2016 through Executive Order no. 6, is intended to take in reports of corrupt officials and other complaints. However, Ms. De Lima, pointed out that most of the calls have not been about corruption and that some 1.4 million calls were not accommodated because the unit was “undermanned.” — Rosemarie A. Zamora
