Duterte firing more officials
More government officials will be fired for alleged corruption, President Duterte announced the other day, amid his relentless drive to clean up the bureaucracy.
Duterte said there would be no letup in his campaign against government officials involved corrupt practices, insisting that Filipinos should be given a respite from corruption.
“There will be more dismissals to come and I don’t care if my whole term would be characterized by a firing and dismissal of people from government. Ayaw ko talaga ‘yan [I really don’t like it] and give us, give the Filipino a respite of corruption,” stressed Duterte during the 81st anniversary celebration of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in Pasay City.
Duterte said he has already fired “so many undersecretaries and secretaries,” including former colleagues when he was mayor of Davao City.
“It pains me deeply to do it pero sinabi ko na, sinabi ko sa inyo, ‘Huwag. Huwag na huwag.’ And that promise, I’m doing until today,” he said.
In recent weeks, the President has dismissed Philippine Health Insurance Corp. ( PhilHealth) interim head Celestina Ma. Jude dela Serna, Customs Deputy Commissioner Noel Prudente, and Government Corporate Counsel Rudolf Philip Jurado, for supposed abuses.
Transportation Undersecretary Mark Tolentino also recently lost his job for allegedly having dealings with the President’s sister over the proposed Mindanao railway project.