Don’t pursue projects you can’t finish within my term, Duterte tells Cabinet

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday called on his Cabinet to only pursue projects they can finish within his term which will end in 2022.

“Sabi ko sa lahat ng secretary ng mga departamento, ‘Do not go into projects which you cannot finish within the two-year time left for me in office,'”  Duterte said in a speech during his visit to farmers in Cotabato.

“Gusto ko, kagaya nung mayor ako. Lahat ng projects ko calibrated in the sense na pagdating ng panahon, pag-alis ko sa opisina malinis lahat. Ang mga sakyanan assigned sa akin, sinauli ko in order,” Duterte added.

The Duterte administration’s big-ticket infrastructure project “Build, Build, Build” was recently revised, with its projects stretched to 100 worth at least P4.3 trillion.

“Build, Build, Build” received criticism last year from Senate Minority Leader Franklin Drilon who described the project as a “dismal failure” after finding out only nine of 75 programs started construction.

Malacañang, however, dismissed Drilon’s remark as baseless and told the opposition senator to instead “look at the administration you previously belonged.”

READ: Palace dismisses as ‘baseless’ Drilon remark on ‘build’ program

Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo added there are already 35 projects under construction while 32 more are set to begin in six to eight months.