MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte has continued his trend of firing government officials involved in supposed corrupt practices as he announced the dismissal of a chairman of an agency, three generals, and numerous policemen in the next days.
“I am in the thick of firing people. I intend to fire another maybe 70 or 49 policemen and three generals for corruption…In the next few days, this is really a purging regime,” Duterte said on Thursday, emphasizing his zero tolerance for corruption.
“I am firing another chairman of an entity in government maybe this week and another set of policemen,” the president added.
Duterte has fired some government officials for their alleged excessive foreign trips. Among them are former Dangerous Drugs Board chief Dionisio Santiago, Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor chief Terry Ridon, and Maritime Industry Authority Administrator Marcial Amaro III.
In his speech during a Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) event, Duterte lauded that gambling industry for boosting the economy, however, reminding them to not engage in graft and corruption.
“I can give you the assurance, we welcome you. I thank you for the income that we are earning from the gambling community,” Duterte said.
“I want to stress again the point that you can come in, expand, do business peacefully but please avoid graft and corruption whether you are the giver or the receiver,” he added.
Duterte also urged businessmen to report corrupt government officials through the Citizens’ Complaint Hotline 8888.
“Please do not give them the luxury of extortion. All you have to do is just you can call anybody in government… And I will take care of it,” Duterte said.
“All I have to do is for you to cooperate and I said do not give in to extortionist. Be it the police, the BIR, Customs, kasi ‘pag malaman ko, I’ll make it hard for you,” he added.