PCSO chairman resigns

MANILA, Philippines (Updated 4:20 p.m.) — Malacañang on Friday announced that Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Chairman Jose Jorge Corpuz, an "invaluable worker in government," had resigned from his post for health reasons.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque however clarified that Corpuz is not the chairman whom President Rodrigo Duterte said he would fire because of corruption.

"This is to announce that Mr. Jose Jorge Elizalde Corpuz has resigned as Chairman and Member, Board of Directors, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office due to health reasons," Roque said in a statement.

On Tuesday, Duterte announced that he was set to fire a "chairman" of a government office as part of his administration's ferocious campaign against corruption in government.

During his speech before executives of the Philippine Amusements and Gaming Corporation, the president also bared that he was planning to relieve "another set" policemen from their posts.

Roque said that the set of cops to be fired included 17 policemen and three generals, a continuation of his efforts to rid the Philippine National Police of corrupt officers.

"We wish him better health," Roque said in a separate text message about the resignation of Corpuz, "he was an invaluable co-worker in government."

PSCO recently got embroiled in a controversy following the revelation that it spent millions of pesos for its Christmas party in a posh hotel in Mandaluyong City in December, a move that its general manager defended.

Board Member Sandra Cam questioned the "lavish" Christmas party thrown by the government agency in December and warned that she would seek a legislative inquiry into it.

PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan however defended the party and clarified that around P6 million was spent on the occasion and not P10 million as alleged by Cam.

"It's the cheapest and most affordable since it's near the PCSO office and we will not be having problems about our parking spaces," Balutan said in a television interview.

Should Duterte fire the official and cops this week, it will be the latest in his anti-corruption campaign which led to the sacking of Maritime Industry Authority administrator Marcial Quirico Amaro III for his numerous foreign trips, travels that he said were authorized by the Transportation department.

The president has also fired Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor chief Terry Ridon and Dangerous Drugs Board head Dionisio Santiago for the "unnecessary" foreign travels.