President Duterte is ready to resign if anyone can prove that he was involved in corruption.
(JOEY DALUMPINES / PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN)
In a taped public address Tuesday, the President however warned his critics to "not invent a sin" against him, insisting he was not running any syndicate involved in corruption.
"Kayong mga ano diyan, wala kayong --- you pretend to be legal, masquerading as fighting corruption and what. Sige, kayo maghanap kayo sa akin (Go ahead, try to find something on me). Find me a person or a paper which says that I received one peso and I will resign," Duterte said.
"Do not invent a sin against me because I have painstakingly avoided being corrupt," he said.
To avoid corruption, Duterte said he deliberately refused to sign contracts related to government projects. He noted that such contracts instead go through the scrutiny of his Cabinet members.
"Iniwasan ko ‘yan. Kaya ayaw kong makipag-usap ng negosyante. Wala kayong makuha sa akin. Wala akong papel na pinirmahan na transaction sa gobyerno (I avoided it. That's why I don't want to talk to businessmen. You have nothing on me. I did not sign any paper for government transactions)," he said.
With his supposed corruption-free record, Duterte said he is not constrained to hit back at those involved in anomalies in government.
Before his election as president in 2016, Duterte served as mayor of Davao City for many years. He also previously worked as prosecutor in his hometown.
"Matagal ho akong fiscal. Matagal akong mayor, 23 years sa Davao. Wala akong sindikato ni isa man (I've been a prosecutor for a long time. I've been a mayor for a long time, for 23 years in Davao City. I don't have a single syndicate)," he said.
Duterte tackled his anti-corruption drive after lamenting that corruption continues to plague the bureaucracy. He has directed the Department of Justice to conduct a government-wide probe on corruption and prosecute those involved in anomalies.