By Genalyn Kabiling
If a government official or worker demands bribe money in exchange of faster service, President Duterte has urged the transacting public to simply shoot, but not kill, the erring public servant.
President Rodrigo Roa Duterte delivers his speech during the inauguration of the Bataan Government Center and Business Hub “The Bunker” in Balanga City, Bataan on September 12, 2019. (ALBERT ALCAIN/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO/MANILA BULLETIN)
In a speech made during his visit to Bataan Thursday, the President suggested shooting the corrupt official in the foot to avoid a prison sentence and even offered to defend such action.
Duterte made the statement after deploring that corruption has become “a worm inside almost everybody in government."
"'Pag magbayad kayo sa taxes ninyo o fees, clearances whatever, at humingi --- humingi itong mga g*** na ito, sampalin mo. Kung may baril ka, pwede barilin mo. Huwag mo na lang patayin para --- baka hindi ka masali doon sa pardon, sa computation ," he said during the inauguration of the Bataan government center Thursday night.
Duterte, a former state prosecutor, said any person, who shoots an errant government official, will only be slapped with serious physical injuries, and not end up in prison.
"Paa lang. Eh serious physical injuries lang ‘yan. Probation ka. Walang ano ‘yan. Admitahin mo lang then you go to probation. You do not go inside the prison. You’ll just report to probation officer," he said.
"At least nagbaril ka ng g*****magnanakaw na ulol and I will defend you ," he added.
The President appealed anew to the public to assert their rights, and report any corruption or abuse involving a government official or worker. He said if the corruption incident reaches his office, he would summon the concerned official and let the complaint slap him or her in the face in front of him.
"Sabihin ko, 'Sampalin mo. Sampalin mo ng tatlong beses.' Pagsabi mo, 'Magkano ba hiningi sa iyo, sir?' 'Five thousand.' 'O kulang pa ng dalawa. Sampalin mo pa ng dalawang beses itong p***** i**** ito ," the tough-talking former Davao City mayor said.
Meantime, Duterte said he would issue soon an executive order to enhance efficient delivery of quality and responsive government services to the people, warning that slow processing of documents only breeds corruption.
He wanted government agencies to cut the red tape and hasten the processing of permits, licenses and other applications for documents by the public.
"I will issue the executive order na kung may mga customer ng gobyerno, kliyente, whatever and you ask them what they want, they should be provided with a shopping list na dapat i-submit nila at pagkatapos diyan they are given a day to submit the papers and ‘yung papel na ‘yan should include everything ," he said.
"There will be no changes, no modification and no reason or excuse to call back the transacting public to produce another document. It is in the art of making them going back and forth to the office that perpetuates corruption in government," he said.
He said the delay in processing of permits and other state documents only "make up the ugly face of government."
He warned anew that officials who cannot further improve the ease of doing business and government service delivery should better leave their posts.
"Kaya ako mag-alis, talagang hihiritan ko ito lahat. I will demand and if the Cabinet official cannot really cope up with it for health reason o matanggal ka lang, pero bata pa naman itong mga g***** ito. Sabi ko sa kanila, better leave," he said.