FIRING OFFICIALS, DUTERTE STYLE

“Any whiff of corruption, maski amoy lang, especially those who serve at the pleasure of the president, out they go.” PRESIDENT DUTERTE

Since President Duterte assumed office on June 30, 2016, he has established a pattern or style in dismissing public officials and employees. Handprints, whatever you call them, make it unmistakably Duterte:

HYPERBOLE ON POLICY AND PROMISE. Three broad strokes that he made early on -1. Firing “every member of his administration who was appointed by a previous president.” Would declare “all positions vacant.” How many? “In the thousands.” (Aug. 22, 2016). Would expand it to include local officials ( Jan. 9, 2018).

2. Making threat of wholesale filing or announcing the impending sacking before it is done. Would kick out “an entire commission,” three generals and the chairman of a government corporation (Dec. 8, 2017), when he created the presidential anticorruption commission ( Jan. 12, 2018).

3. Adopting “mere suspicion” as basis for dismissal, especially those serving at the president’s pleasure.

THE HYPE BEFORE AND AFTER FIRING IS MADE UP BY THE ACTUAL DEED. President Duterte has shown he won’t protect, not for long anyway, any ally or friend who tarnishes his anti-corruption stance.

WHAT MAY BE LACKING IS THAT MANY OF THOSE CAUGHT STEALING GOT AWAY UNPUNISHED. The P50 million bribery at the Bureau of Immigration, the P6.5 billion shabu smuggling through the Customs express lane top the number of corruption cases where the officials were fired but still have to be punished.

The sacking of Justice Chief Vitaliano Aguirre II leaves the question hanging: whether he would be held responsible for the alleged acts of incompetence and/or corruption.