Duterte on corruption slowdown: Give me 3 years

FILE: President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. (PCOO photo)

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte vowed a timeframe on ending the country’s corruption on Monday during a convention of public attorneys.

“Tsaka ‘yang corruption, matatapos talaga ‘yan (And about corruption, it will really end). In the fullness of God’s time, bigyan mo ko ng mga (just give me) three years, there will be a slowdown sa (in) corruption,” the President said.

“Wala talaga akong patawad d’yan (I have no forgiveness on corruption),” he added recalling his firing of former Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ismael Sueno on April, “In the Cabinet meeting, nandoon ayan sila Aguirre, lahat, sabi ko (Aguirre was there when I said): ‘Get out of this room. You’re fired.’ Sinasabi ko na sa inyo, ‘wag kayong pumasok sa (I am telling you, never engage in) corruption. That will be my injunction to everybody.”

Duterte went on and revealed that he recently dismissed the Sugar Regulatory Board (SRA) chief. “I will stop graft and corruption and my God, I’m going to do it. Marami na akong tinanggal (I already fired a lot). The latest one was Paner of the Sugar Regulatory Board,” he said.

The President accused Anna Rosario Paner of hiring consultants and paying them excessive fees.

“Bakit magkuha ka ng three [consultants] Sugar Regulatory Board? Tatlo, tapos ang bayad ng tao P200 000 a month? G*** ka ba? (Why would you hire three consultants for Sugar Regulatory Board, paying P200 000 each? Are you crazy?)” Duterte said.

He also compared the mentioned amount of P200 000 that is significantly higher than his salary as a president.

Duterte warned appointed officials to ‘erase the notion of pleasing people close to them’ as they have no political burden since they are ‘appointed by the appointing authority.’

The President then said that he would like to review and limit the hiring of consultants by government agency.