Presidential spokesperson and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo. INQUIRER PHOTO/JOAN BONDOC
MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang welcomed Saturday the remarks of House Majority Leader Rolando Andaya Jr. that the House of Representatives would heed the call of President Rodrigo Duterte to abolish the graft-ridden Road Board.
“Cong. Andaya is finally in touch with reality contrary to his claim that Sec. Diokno and I were out of touch with the President in the matter of the latter’s position on the road users’ tax and abolition of Road Board,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in statement.
READ: House to heed Duterte’s call for Road Board abolition – Andaya
Andaya earlier claimed he and Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo met with Duterte in September and the President had agreed to keep the Road Board.
Duterte, however, belied this in a speech Friday, saying “it’s now time to abolish” the corrupt-ridden agency.
READ: Duterte says ‘it’s time to abolish’ Road Board
“We are pleased to know that the House of Representatives has listened to the voice of the people who have long been outraged by the corruption surrounding the use of the said tax,” Panelo said.
“The President, pursuant to the command of the Constitution to serve and protect the people, has laid the basis of his governance at the inception of his presidency that the people’s money shall only be spent for their welfare, and those who steal from it shall be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” he added.
Duterte on Friday said the Road Board has become a “milking cow” of corrupt politicians.
“Let the President’s call for a clean and responsive government to the needs of the governed be taken to heart by those who temporarily wield political power so that our country could commence to traverse the path righteousness and progress so long denied them by those they have entrusted with authority,” Panelo said. /kga