Palace says Duterte to keep anti-corruption promise: ‘Kung may ebidensya, sibak, sibak, sibak’

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte is certain to dismiss officials whose corrupt activities had been documented, Malacañang said Thursday after the Commission on Audit (COA) flagged numerous transactions of government agencies.

“Sa dami po ng nasibak na ni Presidente dahil po sa korapsyon, wala naman po kaduda duda na kung meron namang ebidensya, sibak, sibak, sibak po yan,” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a press briefing when asked what assurance he would give to the public amid the findings of COA in its reports.

(With the many officials dismissed by the President for corruption, there is no doubt that if there is evidence, they will be dismissed, dismissed, dismissed.)

“Wag po kayo magalala, yan po ay pangako ng Presidente,” he added.

(Don’t worry, that’s the promise of the President.)

In the audit reports and observations regularly posted on its website, COA flagged many agencies for the handling of its finances including the Department of Health, the Department of Transportation, the Department of Labor and Employment, and more

Duterte earlier told COA to “stop flagging” and “do not publish” its reports, saying the practice corrodes agencies with “corruption by perception.”

But Roque clarified the President was only expressing frustration when he made the remark.

The fight against corruption was one of Duterte’s campaign promises when he ran for president in 2016. But a number of times, the President was fed up with corruption, admitting that it is “impossible” to eradicate it.

In some of his taped speeches, Duterte even read out names of officials he dismissed in a bid to project his “zero tolerance” for corruption. But some officials who have been supposedly “fired” either came back to service or were transferred to another agency.

One of the most recent instances was the dismissal of 43 immigration officers allegedly involved in the so-called “pastillas” scheme. In his State of the Nation Address, the President claimed that he fired them, but Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra made clear they returned to office from suspension.

READ: Duterte unaware 43 BI officials linked to ‘pastillas’ scheme not fired

The President has also repeatedly come to the defense of Health Secretary Francisco Duque, who has been sought to resign after being figures in several controversies.