President Rodrigo Duterte led the opening ceremony of the Philippine National Games (PNG) 2018 at the Cebu City Sports Complex in Cebu on Saturday, May 19, 2018. (Photo from an RTVM video)
CEBU CITY — President Rodrigo Duterte announced on Saturday that he would fire two more members of the Cabinet.
In a speech during the opening ceremonies of the Philippine National Games 2018 at the Cebu City Sports Center, the President said he was fed up with officials he appointed who only turned out to be scalawags.
But he didn’t give any details or even drop hints on their identities.
In a press briefing on May 15, presidential presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the President advised Assistant Secretaries Moslemen Macarambon Sr. of the Department of Justice (DOJ), and Tingagun Umpa of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to tender their resignations or face termination.
Citing Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) investigations, Roque said Macarambon had “regularly been intervening on behalf of smugglers of gold and other precious jewelry at the NAIA,” while Umpa, allegedly committed grave abuse of power and may have committed acts of corruption, among others, according to the DPWH.
In his speech, the President said these two officials were using his name, his common-law wife, Cielito “Honeylet” Avanceña, his children, and cousins to apparently solicit for funds.
“Kaning naa ta sa gobyerno, dili ni pangwartahay. Ignan tamo sa tinarong lang ang gobyerno. Ako pay ga-appoint nila, ako pay gapahawa,” he said.
[When we are in government, it should not be a source of money. Only those who do good should be in government. I was the one who appointed them. I ended up firing them.]
The President said he had been dismissing officials of government due to issues of corruption.
“Mugamit gani sa akong ngalang, ayaw ko storyahe. Naa kay pangayoon, considered it denied,” he added.
[If you use my name, don’t talk to me. If you ask something, considered it denied.] /atm