President Rodrigo Duterte has fired Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) Administrator Marcial “Al” Amaro III for allegedly making excessive foreign trips, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque announced on Thursday.
In a televised press conference in Davao City, Roque said that the President terminated Amaro’s services after the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has submitted a report detailing Amaro’s excessive foreign trips.
He also said that the Office of the President (OP) received on December 22 a letter purportedly from Marina employees, enumerating all of Amaro’s travels abroad.
“The President has tasked me to announce that he has terminated the services of Mr. Marcial Amaro, administrator of Marina,” Roque said.
According to Roque, President Duterte ordered an investigation into Amaro’s trips, and that the DOTr has submitted to the OP a report on Amaro’s travels abroad.
The DOTr report showed that the Marina official made a total of 24 foreign trips in the last two years.
It specifically showed that Amaro went on 18 official trips abroad in 2017. It also indicated that Amaro travelled abroad six times in 2016.
“The President has decided therefore to terminate his services,” he said.
On Wednesday, Malacañang issued the guidelines for government officials going on trips abroad after Duterte rebuked officials of the executive branch engaging in foreign junkets. /kga
Marcial “Al” Amaro III. PHOTO from https://www.marina.gov.ph