Headline
Palace reminds: Ignore PRRD’s relatives using his name
FILE: President Rodrigo Duterte (PCOO PHOTO)
Malacañang said that President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered his Cabinet to pay no mind to his relatives who use his name or connection in any government deal.
“Now, the President would like to reiterate his prior instruction to the Cabinet to ignore any pleas to be made by any of his relatives in connection with any government transaction,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing on January 3.
“The President is renewing his call that any and all of his relatives are not authorized, okayed to approach anyone in government in connection with any government-related transaction full stop,” Roque further explained.
He said that Duterte’s order applies to members of his family including his children, siblings, cousins, uncles, and aunts.
Roque then added that “No one in his family is authorized by him to have any financial interest in any government office, agency, or department.”
The Spokesman was asked if information on a certain incident or a high-ranking official assisting his relatives prompted the President to renew this announcement, to which he replied that there was none.
“Although, actually, again in the spirit of transparency, this was also relayed to me on the 30th to be announced on our next press briefing ‘no. So kung natuloy ‘yung (if the) press briefing (pushed through) last January 1, I would have said the same thing that the President is renewing his call to everyone in government that anyone who uses his name, be it relatives or friends, do not have any authority to use his name,” Roque stated.
He further said that he has yet to meet the President so he could not give more details apart from the mentioned and the re-announcement.
