President Rodrigo Duterte (Screenshot from Facebook / PCOO livestream)
MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday night said he has fired up to six Cabinet members due to alleged corruption.
In his speech during a joint meeting of the National Task Force and Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict in Central Visayas in Lapu-Lapu City, Duterte said he appointed Acting Environment Secretary Jim Simpulna to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) because he fired other officials over alleged corruption in reclamation projects in Manila.
“Itong sa iyong acting secretary ng DENR, it’s because there were—may dinismiss ako na Cabinet members and iyong ito ‘yung reclamation projects in front of Manila,” he said.
(We appointed a new DENR acting secretary because I dismissed Cabinet members and this is about the reclamation projects in front of Manila.)
Duterte, however, did not name the alleged corrupt government officials in the DENR who he supposedly fired.
“When I became President, I heard reports of corruption. So si Secretary Sampulna is new because I fired them all. I won’t name anybody because it’s painful for them for this to have happened. But you know, whether you helped me during the elections or contributed something good, I am very thankful,” he said.
“Pero alam mo maski kaibigan tayo (But you know, even if we are friends), I have fired—hindi lang ninyo alam (you just did not know), hindi kasi ako mahilig ng… I’m not fond of announcing to the media pero about—in the process, I’ve fired five or six Cabinet members because of corruption,” he added.
Duterte said he had fired these Cabinet officials “a long time ago.”
“I’m not campaigning, I’m just talking about what ails the system. I’m not even naming names, but to those who are listening now, did you know about this? But if you ask me, I’ll say who are the Cabinet members that I fired. I fired them a long time ago. I’ve probably fired around six of them—an unholy hour, I really—nagbuhos din ako ng sama ng loob (I also expressed my resentment),” he said.
“You know, kaibigan tayo (we are friends), I invited you in hoping that you could help me. O if you helped me, then it’s coupled with corruption, talagang sabi ko (I really said) you know you have to go. It pains me deeply too but I never realized that you are capable of doing it because I thought all the while na pag-usapan natin dito, ‘yung tama lang (we were just talking about what was right here),” the President added.
Duterte said he also told Simpulna to stop accepting applications for reclamation activities.
“All the applications right now for reclamation—all and it could include Cebu and Mindanao—I told the Acting Secretary to stop all of it,” he said.
“It’s either we give it to them last minute for as long as it’s honest and the legal requirements are complied, I might just you know—but they’ll do it, not me. You review everything and if you think it’s proper and legal, give it to them. Paalis na rin ako (I am stepping down soon),” he added.
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