PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is poised to boot out another official upon his return to the Philippines from two international summits.
In remarks during his meeting with Filipinos in Papua New Guinea on Friday night, Duterte said he had dismissed several officials, including Cabinet members, as part of his anti-corruption drive.
“I said I will try to stop corruption. All of it. Two months early, I fired a Cabinet member during a Cabinet meeting for lying,” Duterte said.
The President did not name names, but he had made the same remarks after firing Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno, a former top aide and campaign supporter, in 2017.
“And since then I have fired several people…when I go back, another person will be fired. I really have to fire you. I’m sorry,” he added.
Duterte is scheduled to arrive in Davao City early Sunday morning after cutting short his three-day visit to Papua New Guinea, where he attended the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
He flew in from Singapore where he participated in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit.
The President usually mentions in his speeches that he had fired or would fire government officials due to corruption, but does not mention their names. He is particularly irked by officials who go on unnecessary trips abroad.
“All those who have traveled more than five times, leave,” the President said on Friday.
“Now, Cabinet members, everyone, they have to get a clearance… I said if we cannot understand each other with regard to the people’s money, you leave,” he added.
The President said he was saddened that some of those he had fired were the same people who had urged him to run for president in 2016.
He said these people thought they were “crusading saints” but were first to commit offenses.
“Many of my friends joined me even during the time when I was first elected mayor in 1988. Would you believe it? What irks me and what pisses me off, their style was,
‘Rod, you have to run because our nation is going nowhere.’ You thought they were the crusading saints of the country only to be the first to commit [wrongdoing],” he said.
The President had famously pledged to get rid of public officials involved even in just a “whiff of corruption.”
Aside from Sueno, Duterte had fired National Irrigation Administration chief Peter Laviña, his campaign spokesman; Social Security System commissioner Jose Gabriel “Pompee” Laviña; Maritime Industry Authority administrator Marcial Quirico Amaro 3rd; Commission on Higher Education chief Patricia Licuanan; Presidential Commission for Urban Poor chairman Terry Ridon and commissioners Melissa Aradanas, Manuel Serra Jr., Noe Indonto and Joan Lagunda; Labor Undersecretary Dominador Say; and Tourism Secretary Wanda Tulfo-Teo.
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