Some lawmakers want Duterte economic managers fired

Danilo Suarez

Some members of the minority in the House of Representatives minority are asking President Rodrigo Duterte to fire his economic managers amid the nine-year high August inflation of 6.4 percent.

READ: Inflation hits new 9-year high of 6.4% in August

Minority Leader Danilo Suarez and Senior Deputy Minority Leader Rep. Lito Atienza made the call in a press briefing on Wednesday.

“Now, with a 6.4 percent inflation, we ask the admin to start maybe removing some concern or involved officials in this inefficiency,” Suarez said.

“Some economic managers of the Duterte admin are not capable of doing what they are tasked to do,” he said, referring to the secretaries of the Department of Finance, the Department of Budget and Management, the National Economic and Development Authority and the Department of Trade and Industry.

Atienza backed this, saying “Tanggalin na.”

He also urged Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III to “listen to the concerns of the different chambers of commerce” on the issue of inflation and the government’s tax reform package. /cbb