Duterte to bare names of corrupt officals

MANILA, Philippines -- President Rodrigo Duterte’s shame campaign will go beyond officials allegedly involved in illegal drugs and will also be directed against government workers who are engaged in corruption.

 

Duterte said corruption in the country has become deep-seated and endemic and some crooked officials have refused to change their ways despite his stern warnings.

 

“I’d like to share with you (something about) the perennial problem of the Philippines. Corruption is still there. I still have to show to you the list of scalawags in government. More judges, more policemen, mainly, and some politicians,” the president said after new appointees took their oaths of office in Malacañang on Monday.

 

“I think there is a need, really, to purge. I don’t want to transgress the rules or ignore due process… But it’s hard to remove something that has been there. You need a new generation of workers to do the job,” he added.

 

Duterte cited the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB), agencies that he previously described as among the most corrupt in government.

 

The president said while LTO chief Edgar Galvante and LTFRB chair Martin Delgra III are people with “proven competence and integrity,” they still cannot control some people at the regional level.

 

“I was meeting the businessmen of Cagayan de Oro five nights ago. The complaint was still there – corruption in the LTFRB and LTO and I suppose this is true throughout country,” Duterte said.

 

“Other people would insist on doing it. I have a list but I want to add some more,” he added.

 

Despite the enormous task of eradicating the deep-seated problem of corruption, Duterte said he is up to the task.

 

“I will make not really examples but bad examples (out of) them before the Filipino people,” the chief executive said.

 

“I will really be harsh, double the word, in the coming days because it seems that my appeal that this would be a clean government is not registering at all in the grey matter between the ears of some people in government.”

 

Duterte asked his new appointees to help him as he work to cleanse the government of corruption and illegal drugs. He said while he would appear like a villain to some, he is just fulfilling his promises to the 16 million Filipinos who gave him an overwhelming victory during the May 9 polls.

 

“I’ll keep on repeating it. I’ll give you a clean government then I will crush the drug problem and criminality even if I have to soak my blood so be it,” the tough talking president said.

 

Days before he assumed office, Duterte promised to be harsh to criminals and the corrupt but compassionate to the helpless, hopeless and the defenseless.

 

“I’ll be harsh to criminals and strict to wrongdoers. But you will find something in me especially those who are hopeless, helpless, and defenseless,” he said in a speech delivered on July 27.