Malacañang expressed support Tuesday for the Office of the Ombudsman’s investigation into an alleged “ghost internet” scheme involving government information technology initiatives, stressing that rigorous inquiries into suspected irregularities must proceed and those responsible held accountable regardless of identity.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro emphasized that state programs and projects are designed to deliver tangible benefits and services to the public, warning that citizens should never be shortchanged by fraudulent practices.
“Sa lahat ng ma-anomalya na transaksyon na kinapapalooban ng mga public officials ay dapat lamang itong maimbestigahan,” Castro stated during a press briefing.
Castro pointed out that potential anomalies in state IT procurements could jeopardize the government’s broader digitalization framework.
“Definitely kasi kung kulang ang mga maibibigay sa ating serbisyo, hindi magiging maganda ang epekto nito,” she added.
The remarks follow disclosures from Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano, who revealed that while the national government has disbursed billions of pesos for specific information technology systems, state resources have been compromised by instances involving substandard, non-functional, or artificial software.
The Office of the Ombudsman is currently scrutinizing reports of inflated pricing models for software and hardware assets, alongside contracts where full payments were disbursed despite non-delivery of items.