Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / JOAN BONDOC
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte does not look away when his men are linked to corruption, Malacañang insisted on Thursday, noting that in the past the chief executive has sacked officials who were close to him.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque issued the remark in response to Senator Manny Pacquiao’s call that the President should not be “too defensive” when his people are tagged in corruption issues.
Roque said he has personal experience where the President sacked officials who were close to him when they were linked to corruption.
“Halos lahat ng President sa PhilHealth, natanggal. Dati niyang napakalapit na secretary of DILG, tinanggal. ‘Yung kanyang spokesman noong kampanya, tinanggal. ‘Yung napakalapit na taga-Mindanao na dating member ng SSS, tinanggal,” he said in a Palace briefing.
(Almost all of the presidents of PhilHealth were sacked. His former Interior secretary was sacked. A member of the SSS who is a close friend of his is likewise sacked.)
“Wala kay Presidente kung malapit ka eh,” he added.
(Closeness is nothing to the President.)
“I have personal knowledge na kapag mayroon talagang datos at katotohanan sa mga paratang ng korapsyon, ang Presidente hindi niya pinipikit ang kanyang mga mata,” Roque continued.
(I have personal knowledge that when there is data and proof on allegations of corruption, the President does not look the other way.)
Senator Pacquiao made the remark after Duterte railed against senators for investigating the purchase of “overpriced” pandemic supplies and looking into the budget utilization of the Department of Health (DOH), which was earlier flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA).
“Dapat po ang ating Pangulo, hindi po siya masyadong defensive sa kanyang mga tao na gumagawa ng kalokohan, lalo na itong corruption, dahil yan po ay talagang ayaw na ayaw ng sambayangang Pilipino na ‘yan dahil sa corruption tayo ay naghihirap,” Pacquiao said in an earlier interview.
(The President should not be too defensive when his people are linked to controversies, especially corruption, because that is what the public hates most because many people are suffering because of corruption.)