Duterte to suspend officials causing delays in setting up of businesses

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte said he will suspend local government officials who will cause delays in the setting up of new business ventures in their localities, as he renewed his vow to end corruption in government.

This, as Duterte expressed his desire to allot more funds to help micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the country.

He made the remark early Sunday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA), in Pasay City after arriving from Da Nang Vietnam where he attended the 2017 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit.

According to Duterte, the Philippines ranked low when it comes to the speed or rate of processing papers for new business ventures. He said this was caused by local officials who sit on the papers because they are waiting for money or bribes.

"I will suspend any local government official and especially ‘yung (those) appointed by me. Marami ‘yan (there are plenty of them)," Duterte said Sunday.

"You know when you go into graft and corruption, even in the local level, the business permit to open an opportunity for investment there, for as long as they hang on to the papers, documents, order, approval at inabot ng minsan six months, naghihintay lang ng pera (sometimes take for as long as six month just because they are waiting for money to be given to them)," he added.

According to Duterte, he will order incoming Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Eduardo Año to probe those involved in graft and corruption.

"Kapag nakita ko na pinapahirapan ninyo (If I feel that you are making it hard for these business ventures), or you allow corruption to thrive in your locality, then I will order the new Secretary of the DILG, General Año, to investigate you," he said.