COMMUNICATIONS Secretary Martin Andanar on Monday ordered three officials under the Presidential Communications Operations Office to explain the error-filled identification cards given to the reporters covering Malacañang.
He said he issued the show-cause order on Friday against the officials whom he did not identify and gave them 72 hours, or until today, Monday, to explain why they should not be held liable for the grammatical errors in the cards.
“I’m expecting one answer today, or about two answers today,” Andanar said in a radio interview.
He said he had no hand in the issuance of the IDs, which had been recalled, and said a probe had been launched as a result of the protocols that were violated in the printing of the cards.
“I would not have signed something that had not been checked by the chief of staff,” Andanar said.
“The documents that were shown to me were not complete, I was cheated on what I should have approved and the signature of the chief of staff was missing.”
Andanar expressed hope that the error was not a form of sabotage, but said it should be investigated nonetheless.
The grammatical errors on the back of the cards were discovered by some holders who were killing time while waiting for President Rodrigo Duterte to arrive at an event on March 21 in Pasay City.
But Andanar said Friday the back of the ID to be given to reporters was not shown to him by his staff.
He also said the PCOO’s International Press Center did not return the final design for his approval, used an electronic signature without his permission and used the wrong e-signature.