MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Monday admitted it is “in fact struggling” to combat corruption, but this does not mean it is a failure on its campaign.
Palace spokesman Salvador Panelo cited President Rodrigo Duterte’s firing of erring government officials as proof that the administration is remiss on its promise.
“We are in fact struggling because the President’s hands are tied by the due process clause of the Constitution,” Panelo said in a press briefing.
“It would be different if all of these have been appointed by the President then you can just dismiss all of them outright,” he added.
A rating of global anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International showed the Philippines slipped 14 notches from 99th to 113th in its Corruption Perceptions Index 2019.
“We’ve been fighting corruption and as we have seen, the President has been firing top government officials. And complaints against erring government officials have been charged in the Ombudsman and in the courts,” Panelo further said.
Panelo said Transparency International’s corruption index will prod the government to sack more officials should there be enough evidence.