By Argyll Cyrus Geducos
President Duterte said he is expecting those who are seeking pubic official to be competent and honest in serving the electorate.
President Rodrigo Duterte (Jansen Romero / MANILA BULLETIN)
Duterte made the statement as the period for the filing of the certificates of candidacy (COCs) by those who aspire to be politicians lapsed last week.
In a speech in Davao City, Duterte said that honest and competence are the only qualities he wants to see in a public servant.
"Basta ang --- kamong mosulod sa gobyerno karon, ang akong criteria, you must be honest and you must be competent. Mao ra na (To those of you intending to enter government now, my criteria is you must be honest and you must be competent. That’s it)," he said.
Duterte, as an example, cited his newly appointed Social Welfare Secretary Rolando Bautista as someone who has the two traits he mentioned.
"Og kaya nimo ang trabaho unya tarong ka nga tao… Tanan akong gipasulod sa gobyerno, ang DSWD karon si chief nila si Bautista, gikan man pud na diri (If you can handle the job and if you are a decent person… Everyone whom I appointed in government --- the DSWD chief now is Bautista ---was from here)," he said.
"Naunsa man nako --- nakita man nako kang Rolly nga competent ug honest. Siya’y akong gikuha (How did I --- I saw that Rolly was competent and honest so I appointed him)," he added.
Earlier, Duterte promised that next year's election will be an honest one. He also urged the government's uniformed personnel to not engage in partisan politics.
"Let us make a deal here, promise, to make a commitment to the Filipino people. This election, strictly neutral tayong lahat (we will all remain neutral)," he said last week.
"'Yung mga kandidato ko, ako lang (It is only me who can campaign for my candidates) because this is a political position. But I expect everybody to respect that constitutional prohibition," he added.
"It's good, it's good for the country and I'll announce to the country now that we make a pledge. There will be an election and it will be an honest one," he continued.