President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said he was ready to resign if the corruption allegation against his son Davao City Mayor Paolo Duterte was proven.
“Corruption was really one [thing] I do not like. Pati ‘yung anak ko ngayon, sinasali diyan sa Customs. I told you before and I’m telling you now again, kung sino sa mga anak ko ma-involve sa corruption, I will immediately resign. That, you have my word,” he said in a speech during a business forum in Mandaluyong City.
“Kaya sabi ko, kung sino man yung official who entertains with the intervention of any of my sons and daughter that is enough for me. I will fire you and I will press charges against you and my relative wherever he is and you will have the luxury of seeing me go down. Di ko na kailangan ang trabahong ito, sa totoo lang. I have enough,” he added.
Duterte’s statement came two days after customs broker Mark Taguba dropped the vice mayor’s name during a hearing at the House of Representatives.
Taguba claimed that the President’s son was involved in the transactions of a certain “Davao group” at the Customs bureau in Davao City.
But the broker denied during the hearing that he has evidence and said he has never talked to Duterte’s son. He said it was only a rumor.
The younger Duterte has since denied the allegation, citing Taguba’s admission that it was based on rumors. JE