MANILA, Philippines - Justice Secretary Leila de Lima was reported to have said that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is considering turning some suspects in the scams involving fake Special Allotment Release Orders (SAROs) into state witnesses.
According to GMA News Online, DOJ’s National Bureau of Investigation has started looking into the scams and “is already convincing†suspects “to cooperate.â€
De Lima did not identify the suspects who are being considered as state witnesses.
The DOJ chief also said that she supports the decision of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to abolish SAROs to lessen red tape in the implementation of government projects.
“It is a big step actually, and that is, I think, the best way to eliminate these malpractices…this SARO peddling,†De Lima said.
Earlier, the DBM announced that it has scrapped the SARO system following reports of scams involving fake SAROs being issued to implementing agencies.