President Duterte has bared another list of government personnel, this time from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), who had been dismissed for alleged corruption.
In a televised address Monday night, the President read aloud the names of 26 BIR personnel as part of his intensified campaign to weed out alleged corrupt public servants in government.
The officials faced administrative complaints for grave misconduct, dishonesty, and malversation of public funds, in connection with alleged unremitted cash collections, extortion, among other offenses, according to the President.
“Dito BIR na tayo. Ang nauna dito si – sabi ko sa iyo there’s going to – there’s an ongoing purge sa gobyerno ngayon (We've reached the BIR. I've told you there's an ongoing purge in the government at present,” Duterte said.
"Sabi ko nga maybe during the last year of my term I’ll do nothing except to go after people who are into graft and corruption. Marami na po tayong napaalis, about almost 300 na (I said maybe during the last year of my term, I'll do nothing except to go after people who are into graft and corruption. Many have been dismissed, about almost 300)," he said.
Duterte said it would be up to the Office of the Ombudsman to determine if criminal complaints will also be filed against the concerned BIR personnel. "So dalawa ang harapin mo. Dismissal from the service, wala ka ng trabaho, tapos makulong ka. Iyan ang mangyayari (So you will be facing two consequences – dismissal from service, you won't have a job and then you will be sent to jail. That's what will happen)," he said.
Duterte added he would name more government officials implicated in corruption next week. He noted he previously disclosed the names of personnel from the customs and immigration bureaus.
The President, meantime, appealed anew to the public to report corruption complaints. He said they could give anonymous tips so action can be taken against erring public servants.
Duterte also offered a reward of P10,000 for any information related to "petty graft" in government offices, especially those processing business permits and other clearances.
He also plans to give P20,000 every month to a person who will monitor any anomaly in the customs bureau. "I would place there maybe a camera or human intelligence na lang – pinakamaganda. Bayaran ko na lang kung nandiyan ka. I'll give you 20,000 a month just to tell me who are the guys are,” Duterte said.
In recent weeks, the President has identified several government officials either suspended or dismissed from service over corruption allegations. He has vowed to expose errant public servants and replace them with honest and competent persons.
Earlier, the Department of Justice has been mobilized by the President to conduct an investigation into corruption allegations in the entire government and file charges against those involved whether from the public or private sector.
Duterte is exasperated that corruption has not waned and instead continued to thrive. He has offered incentives to people who will give information about suspected ghost projects and other anomalies in government.