(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte has fired two more of his people after they allegedly “us(ed) their influence.”
In an interview–a video clip of which was uploaded on Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson’s Facebook page on Friday–Duterte said, without giving names, that the two he fired were “from Malacañang.”
“Empleyado diyan tapos kung ano anong pinagsasabi sa labas, na malakas (sila). I hate that,” Duterte said.
He said he did not make any announcement about it in consideration of the family of those sacked.
“Some of them have children who are doctors, lawyers,” he said.
Sacked appointees
This is not the first time the President sacked appointees over corruption allegations.
Ismael Sueno was relieved from his post as Interior Secretary after he pushed for a fire truck contract despite opposition from the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s own legal department that ruled entering into such would see the government at a disadvantage.
Also dismissed were Bureau of Immigration deputy commissioners Al Argosino and Michael Robles, who are also the President’s fraternity brothers.
They were sacked after they were accused of receiving bribes from a Chinese casino operator in exchange for the release of his foreign employees who did not have the necessary papers to stay and work in the country.
Undersecretary Maria Chiara Halmen Valdez was also sacked after she insisted that rice be imported despite a decision made by National Food Authority Administrator Jason Aquino not to do so.
Only recently, Duterte asked Rodolfo Salalima to resign as Information and Communications Technology secretary following reports the former Globe official was partial to that company.