Duterte: No extortion, no favors for kin, friends

DAVAO CITY – No kin, no friends.

Mayor Rodrigo Duterte yesterday sternly warned his relatives and friends not to ever approach him for any favor when he assumes office as the 16th president of the country come June 30.

At the same time, he assured businessmen that there will be no extortion under his watch.

“To my relatives and friends, do not ever come to me for any favor. Because you would not get any from me,” Duterte said.

He stressed that those who would approach him for favors would just be disappointed and perhaps even put to shame if they persist.

The mayor said everything and everyone should go through the process.

Duterte said he also abhors military and police officials who would ask him for favors regarding assignment or promotion.

He said the existing hierarchy of both the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines ( AFP) is coterminous with President Aquino.

The mayor said he will scout for those who he thinks will be competent for the posts.

“Do not come to me because you want to be promoted. There is the Board of Generals that will determine the merit of the promotion,” Duterte said.

He added that he is determined to cleanse the ranks of the PNP and the AFP of scalawags especially those suspected to be behind criminal and drug syndicates.

He was quick to point out, however, that he would work on increasing the take- home pay of both the police and the military to prevent them from getting involved in illegal activities.

No extortion

Duterte also vowed to stop extortion at the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) the moment he starts his term.

He said he would “hire the best economic minds” who would help boost the economy.

“I assure you businessmen, not only of Makati, but throughout the Philippines, the Chinese all here, there will be nothing morbid. There will be no extortion either from the Customs or the BIR,” he said. “Just pay your taxes right,

wala na tayong pinag-usapan (we would not have anything to talk about). You want to do business, expand? Go to the Department of Trade (and Industry), there will be no corruption there. I will not take it against you. No one will ask anything from you from the executive department,” Duterte said.

Duterte was earlier criticized by officials of the Makati Business Club for having no concrete economic agenda when he was invited to a forum in Makati City during the 90-day campaign period.

Cayetano, for his part, appealed to all government officials, especially those in the frontline services, to cooperate with the incoming government.

He said by this time the public already knows that Duterte wants to act fast on the problems besetting the country and establish an honest government free from red tape.

No cause for alarm

Meanwhile, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III said that there was no reason to be concerned about the plan of Duterte to include former military officers in his Cabinet.

Pimentel, who will be part of the selection committee of Duterte, said that the said ex-military officers would be tapped based on their expertise when they were still in active duty or as private citizens.

Pimentel, president of PDPLaban which fielded Duterte as its presidential candidate in the recent elections, cited the Department of National Defense as one of the agencies where the expertise of former military officers would be put to good use.

Better lives seen

In a related development, Filipinos abroad see better lives ahead with the incoming government of Duterte.

John Bertiz, of the Alliance for Community Transformation and Service-OFWs, said overseas workers, particularly those staying in the Middle East, are hopeful that Duterte’s presidency will have a big heart for them and their families.

He said overseas workers have been desperately longing for the government’s immediate attention since the Aquino administration apparently ignored their pitiful plight.

Militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU), for its part, called on Duterte to prove his promise to end contractualization and improve the lives of workers nationwide.

One-week break

Duterte has opted to take at least a week’s rest after the grueling three- month campaign period and the May 9 elections before he meets with supporters.

Duterte’s personnel have reportedly been scouting for a place where the mayor could meet his well-wishers.

The mayor earlier announced that he will possibly go on a retreat in a farm in the south. –