Duterte declares all appointive gov't posts vacant to get rid of corruption
August 21, 2016 | 11:15am
MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED 2:45 p.m.) — Frustrated by the corruption in some agencies, President Rodrigo Duterte has declared all appointive government posts vacant to address the deep-seated problems in the bureaucracy.
Thousands of officials will be affected by the declaration, which takes effect Monday.
“Until now in my provincial visits, I still hear corruption being committed by people, especially in the regulatory agencies,” Duterte told reporters early morning Sunday in Davao City.
“If you are there because of the presidential appointments, I will declare all your positions all throughout the country vacant.”
Duterte clarified that the declaration does not cover Cabinet officials who assumed office last June 30.
The chief executive made special mention of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), agencies that he once described as among the most corrupt in government.
He said all LTO positions, except those occupied by career officials, are now vacant. LTFRB officials, meanwhile, were ordered to report to Malacañang this week.
Duterte said his declaration would not affect the delivery of services as deputies would assume the posts vacated by their superiors.
“There’s always a deputy or even the first clerk, they can take over until such time I decide whether I will dispose of you or not,” the president said.
When asked what he would do if he finds out that career officials are causing the problems in their agencies, Duterte said: “If a rule is enforced, it must be enforced against all or none at all.”
Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said the new appointees would undergo the same screening process by the Presidential Management Staff.
“Our bureaucracy is strong. Our bureaucracy can stand even without the heads of agencies…There will be no problem,” Andanar added.
Andanar also claimed that the president did not violate any law when he declared the positions of appointees vacant.
“They (appointees) serve at [the] pleasure of [the] president. They have to work cleanly and really put a stop to corruption,” he added.
Duterte, who previously vowed to be harsh in dealing with the corrupt, noted that the president has the power to dismiss people whom he thinks could no longer perform their tasks.
“I will give you a clean government. Along the way, cost [will be] the employment of some who are really corrupt,” the president said.
“It’s a problem with the system and the structures, maybe the functioning or the aberration in the system or the flow, of that work, I really won’t mind. But if you are there to commit corruption day in, day out, please get out,” he added.
Duterte, nevertheless, clarified that he would not replace officials whose performance is “at par with the rest of the best of the employed.”
Last week, Duterte threatened to name officials who are involved in corruption, which he described as “endemic” in the country.
“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 said in a speech last August 15.
“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.”
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