Rody to gov’t agencies: Cut red tape, or else...

Use a routing slip… or be put to sleep.

President Du te rte reminded government workers yesterday to provide efficient service and simplify processes as he vowed to be tough on those remiss in their duties.

The President said he would not allow anyone who abuses his authority or refuses to do his job to go unpunished.

“Pahigain niyo ‘ yung papel diyan ( If you let the papers sleep there), so there must be a rout- ing slip there,” Duterte said during the commemoration of the third anniversary of Super Typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban City.

“Even if it is a public cemetery, there has to be a routing slip so that I would know when is the time for me to put you to sleep,” he added.

Duterte cited the manner of delivery of relief goods to typhoon survivors, which he described as unsatisfactory.

“So you cut the red tape or I really… I do not know where to start. Is it really the rules, which is also to protect the money of the people? Or the people there refused to work?” he asked.

The President singled out three government agencies that apparently failed to deliver services to Yolanda-hit areas.

“LWUA, NHA, DPWH. You do that again and I will fire all of you. I will ask you to resign. That’s for real,” Duterte said, referring to the Local Water Utilities Administration, National Housing Authority and Department of Public Works and Highways, respectively.

“Those in the higher ups are listening. The problem is those (below). It’s (assistance) not pouring, it’s trickling in trickles and this, what… I don’t know,” he added.

The President has stepped up measures to reduce red tape in the government. He said national agencies are given one month to process docu- ments.

“The local government, since you are not under me directly, I do not have the control. But I have the supervision. I would be coming out with rules that bind everybody, including government corporations,” he said.