MANILA - Four Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) employees filed a complaint against Officer-in-Charge Tereso Panga for allegedly persecuting them for being supporters of former Director General Charito Plaza.

Panga and Plaza are embroiled in a leadership row with Plaza insisting she remains as the chief of the agency since PEZA is exempted from a Malacanang memorandum declaring vacant several positions in the executive branch.

Some of the complainants' claimed that their contracts were not renewed while some were assigned to far-flung areas, Counsel for complainants Atty. Amando Virgil Ligutan told ANC.

The complaint was filed against Panga at the Office of the Ombudsman in the Visayas for usurping the position, and violations of the code of conduct and ethical standards for public officials. The complainants also urged the Ombudsman to act based on the Anti-graft and Corruption Practices Act, Ligutan said.

"They were persecuted because they were identified as supporters of Director Plaza, the 3 of them were removed, their contracts were not renewed and their performance was beyond satisfactory," Ligutan said.

Ligutan said the complaint was filed in the Visayas since one of the complainants was assigned in a Mactan Economic Zone.

As of Monday, Plaza still claims she is still the PEZA Director General. Panga's appointment as OIC, meanwhile, was affirmed by Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual.

Ligutan said he was not privy to the communication between PEZA and the Malacanang.

• Who heads PEZA? Incumbent DTI chief and Duterte appointee butt heads
• DTI chief says Plaza no longer PEZA director-general
• PEZA leadership row continues

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