The customs personnel who recently lost their jobs have only themselves to blame for their predicament after getting entangled with corruption, President Duterte said Thursday.
The President read more than a dozen names of Bureau of Customs (BOC) personnel ordered dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman during his televised public address. The concerned officials were dismissed from the service for offenses such as gross neglect of duty, misconduct and dishonesty, according to the President.
“Galit ako sa inyo. Kayong na-dismiss bagay lang. You should not…. not anybody's fault but yours for committing graft and corruption (I am angry with you. Those who were dismissed, it serves you right. Not anybody's fault but yours for committing graft and corruption),” Duterte said.
The President also mentioned other customs personnel suspended as well as those under investigation by the Ombudsman in his speech.
The President had pledged that there would be “no mercy” in his intensified campaign against corruption in government. He said those involved in anomalies would be held accountable for their actions.
“I have two years to do it and about six months to file all the charges. I'm sure that Sandiganbayan will be kept busy hearing the cases,” he said.
Recently, the President described the customs bureau as among the agencies “famous” for corruption. Duterte, however, said he was excluding Customs chief Rey Leonardo Guerrero from those implicated in corruption, citing his good performance in the agency. He noted that many customs personnel have either been dismissed, suspended, or still facing investigation under Guerrero’s watch.
Last week, the President ordered the Department of Justice to launch a massive investigation into corruption allegations in government. He wanted the justice department to prosecute those involved in irregularities whether they from the public or private sector.