Stop acting like God, reject corruption, Duterte tells barangay officials

Barangay officials should "stop acting like God" and shun corruption or else risk their removal from office, President Duterte warned on Sunday.

The President said barangay officials must instead serve the people and help strictly implement quarantine measures to ensure their health in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

"Sa mga barangay captain, stop acting like God in your barangay. You are just a human being," Duterte said during his televised public address Sunday night. "I'm sure that you know nothing or little at all about governance if you are there into corruption," he said.

Duterte said he would not hesitate to seek the suspension, dismissal and prosecution of dishonest barangay officials, describing them as the "idiots and low-life in the lower echelons in government." He insisted that corrupt public servants don't deserve to stay in government any longer.

"Wala na akong respeto sa inyo  I don't have any respect for you). I have no compunction about sending you to jail or suspending you," he said. "So you are removed from the political horizon. You do not deserve to stay in the government a minute longer," he added.

Duterte said he wanted to see the "agony and humiliation" of corrupt public servants while he is still in office "because you are a criminal." 

"Pag nagkamali kayo dito, wala. Pasensya (If you make a mistake here, I'm sorry). I will demand your resignation if it really calls for it," he said.

The President discussed his zero tolerance for corruption in government during his meeting with some Cabinet members Sunday.  He mentioned the government's social amelioration programs and his earlier warning to government officials not to pocket or misuse the public funds.

In the same speech, the President reminded barangay officials to help enforce the health measures intended to limit the spread of the coronavirus in the community.

"Mga barangay captains, it's time that you really work. Isauli mo sa tao yung honor na binigay nila sa inyo. You work, strictly enforce yung quarantine (To the baragany captains, it's time that you really work. Return the honor given by the people. You work, strictly enforce the quarantine)," he said.

The appeal was made shortly after the President approved the Cabinet’s recommendation to bring back Metro Manila and nearby provinces under modified enhanced community quarantine for the next two weeks to stem the spread of the disease. 

Medical frontliners earlier called for a “timeout" and appealed to the President to revive the strict lockdowns to avert the collapse of the country’s healthcare system amid surging cases of infections.