(Eagle News) – President Rodrigo Duterte told new career executive service officers to stay away from corruption which he said he had vowed to eliminate.
In a speech in Malacanang on Thursday, Sept. 27, Duterte said that the corruption problem in the country is so entrenched that the present level of governance will not rise if this is not stopped.
“But the problem is — I would like to tell you now and I’m very frank with you, the presence of the Ombudsman is here — corruption. Talagang matindi ang corruption. And I will just like to lay the two predicates, unless we stop corruption and unless there is law and order in the Philippines, I am sad to say to you, we will never rise from our present level of governance,” he said.
-Accusations vs him only on EJK, says Duterte-
The President said he has not been linked to corruption and that was he had been accused of was regarding extrajudicial killings.
“What are your sins? Ako? Sabi ko nga sa military, anong kasalanan ko? Nagnakaw ba ako diyan ni piso? Sige daw. Did I prosecute somebody na ipinakulong ko? Ang kasalanan ko lang ‘yung mga extrajudicial killing. Eh ‘yang extrajudicial killing naman, ‘tong mga ___ lalo na ‘yung itim na sino ‘yon? Sabi ko, ____, huwag ka ihampas ko itong — sa ulo mo iyong prosecutor na ‘yan,” Duterte said during his speech as he criticized the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“But what right are you here to… You are actually exercising functions which you are not supposed to do. It belongs to government. At the very least, you are committing usurpation of authority. Itong mga… Itong ICC,” he said.
President Duterte then continued to criticize the ICC saying it has no jurisdiction to investigate him.
His remarks on extrajudicial killing during the speech was however seen as an admisison by critics, although Palace spokesperson Harry Roque, said this remark by Duterte should be taken in context with his frustration regarding corruption in government. He said it was therefore not an actual admission of guilt.
-Campaign promise to stop corruption-
During his speech Thursday in Malacanang, President Duterte continued to remind career service officers to do their duties honestly and responsibly and to help him curb corruption in government.
He stressed that stopping corruption in government was the first of his campaign promises, the second being stamping out crime, including the illegal drug situation which he said had already victimized many of the country’s youth.
“And the first that I promised you I said, I will try my very best to stop corruption,” he said.
Duterte also expressed exasperation with the degree of corruption in government, especially after reports of corruption in the Armed Forces of the Philippines medical services, particularly at the V. Luna Medical Hospital.
“Sabi ko bitawan ko lahat ‘yan. Sabi ko the irony of it all is you want to kick me out, naghahanap lang ako ng rason really I’m going home, I’m tired. ‘Yan ang totoo diyan. Kasi hindi ko talaga kaya ang corruption. Maski anuhin ko. It begins with something like an inaugural thing, the breaking of the ground or the cutting of whatever. It’s given the widest publicity. Three months after, nandoon na sa Ombudsman and then sa Sandigan,” Duterte explained.