Duterte sacked PNOC Exploration Corp. head over ‘idiotic’ contract

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte himself confirmed Thursday firing the head of Philippine National Oil Company Exploration Corp. (PNOC-EC) Pedro Aquino after he wanted to ratify an “idiotic contract” with a Russian oil company.

“Just fired yesterday the, ’yung… A subsidiary of PNOC, it’s a company. Here is a guy who prepared a contract with the Russians and the Russians thought that it, that was all there is to it,” Duterte said during his speech at the 45th Philippine Business Conference & Expo.

“‘He wanted now the Board of Trustees to ratify what he prepared,” Duterte said.

Palace confirmed early this week Duterte has fired Aquino “for loss of confidence.”

READ: Duterte fires PNOC Exploration Corp. head

“Kaya sabi ko, ‘Adre, abogado ka?’ ‘Yes.’ Sabi ko, ‘Ano ‘yung kalokohan mo na baliktad,” Duterte said.

(I said, Adre, you’re a lawyer, right? Yes. Then I said, what’s this foolishness of yours reversing this.)

“Baliktad ang gusto mo eh. Ikaw, ’yung contract and you want the Board of Directors to ratify your idiotic contract,” Duterte added.

(You wanted the wrong way around… the contract… and you want the Board of Directors to ratify your idiotic contract.)

Duterte did not say which Russian company he was pertaining to but recent reports say Aquino was asked to resign because of a deal with state-owned Rosneft Oil Company.

READ: Abolition of PNOC subsidiaries pushed