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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Duterte 'dead serious' in government purge of 'misfits'

Duterte 'dead serious' in government purge of 'misfits'

Published Mar 25, 2021 12:36 pm

With several months left in office, President Duterte is "dead serious" in weeding out "misfits" in government.

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte talks to the people after holding a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Malacañang Golf (Malago) Clubhouse in Malacañang Park, Manila on March 24, 2021.
(KING RODRIGUEZ / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

The President said he would not have second doubts about pursuing the dismissal of officials involved in corruption, adding he could easily replace them with qualified Filipinos.

Corruption cases will be filed before the Office of the Ombudsman, he added.

"Ang gobyerno hindi atin (The government is not ours). This is not a private property of anybody. It belongs to the people of the Philippines so bantay kayo (so better watch out)," Duterte said during a televised address Wednesday, March 24.

"If you are not yet convinced that I am dead serious, then that would be your undoing," he added.

Duterte issued the statement after reading aloud another list of officials sacked over corruption allegations during his public address. He identified three anti-drug enforcement officials and two others from the National Police Commission who were dismissed for grave misconduct and other offenses.

"I'm going to read our continuing effort to purge government of misfits, iyong napaalis (those dismissed). This time I will focus on the PDEA (Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency)," he said.

Duterte admitted that he would rather have an erring official dismissed than just suspended at work.

"Alam mo iyang --- kayo bang mga g***, hindi ako mag-dalawang isip ma-dismiss kayo. Alam mo kung bakit? Maraming Pilipino diyan sa labas na walang trabaho, nangangailangan ng trabaho (You know I won't have second thoughts in dismissing these fools. You know why? There are many Filipinos looking for jobs). There are a lot of Filipinos jobless, qualified but no opportunity," he said.

Amid the anti-corruption efforts, Duterte claimed that the extortion seemed to be weakening in government. But he said he would press ahead with the anti-corruption drive, including the reorganization of some offices.

"DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) hindi pa ako nag-umpisa nang balasa (I have not started the reorganization of DPWH) but those that have been mentioned, they continue to just floating status," he said.

Duterte previously expressed exasperation with the endemic corruption in government but vowed to focus on pursuing the daunting task of fighting corruption in the remainder of his term.

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