No friends where corruption comes in — Rody

President Duterte lamented he had to fire some of his close allies due to reports of corruption.

“I fired many of them due to corruption. And this is new. That has nothing to do at all with any other reason. I just don’t want to make publicity out of it. I leave everybody to decide,” Duterte said in a speech last night, without referring directly to tourism secretary Wanda Teo who resigned over the controversial P60-million advertisements placed in her brother’s TV program.

Apart from Teo, Duterte has fired interior secretary Ismael Sueno and justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre from his Cabinet.

Both are close allies, with Sueno being the former PDP-Laban chairman while Aguirre was his San Beda law classmate and fraternity brother.

The President also axed Dangerous Drugs Board chief Dionisio Santiago and Presidential Commission for Urban Poor head Terry Ridon.

Duterte earlier this year fired budget undersecretary for legal Gertrudo de Leon over alleged corruption and Maritime Industry Authority administrator Marcial Amaro III for excessive trips abroad.

Speaking before the oath taking of newly promoted military officials at Malacañang last night, Duterte expressed disappointment anew that those linked to graft and corruption were the same people who convinced him to run for president.

“What is painful, most that I have dismissed are the very same people who urged me to run in the first place. They went back and forth in Davao, to egg me (to run),” the President said.

“The presidency, to me, is a gift to a certain individual,” he added.

Duterte told the newly promoted military generals to help him in the campaign against corruption, saying that he had already fired so many people for tarnishing the integrity of his administration.

“Help me stop graft and corruption,” Duterte said.

He reiterated he would not allow the padrino system under his term.

“That is why, to our credit… nobody but nobody, no politician calls me or intercedes for anybody,” the President said.

Duterte then went on a closed-door command conference with the police and the military, discussing with them security issues, including China, as he revealed in his speech.

Earlier in the day, Malacañang said Duterte wants his campaign against corruption to be highlighted in his next State of the Nation Address (SONA) this July.

Duterte stressed this point during the Cabinet meeting last Monday, where he reiterated his anti-corruption platform would not wane even if the axe falls on his allies and friends.

“The campaign against corruption was highlighted by the President when we discussed the content of the State of the Nation Address,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.

“During the SONA, the President will be talking to the people and reporting to the people on matters close to his heart, and that’s where the issue of corruption came up,” Roque said when asked if Duterte openly lectured his Cabinet over his displeasure against officials tagged in corruption issues.

Roque said the President did not directly mention any erring official during the Cabinet meeting.