Duterte to fire another government exec for graft

MANILA, Philippines — Another official will get the ax tomorrow over alleged irregularities, presidential spokesman Harry Roque said.

President Duterte wanted the official fired last Sunday, but Roque said he was able to convince the Chief Executive to defer announcing the dismissal until tomorrow.

“Actually, I was supposed to announce the firing of someone. I decided to move it to January. He wanted me to announce the firing. I told him let’s not do it, Mr. President. Let’s allow the official to have a happy New Year,” Roque told radio station dzBB yesterday in Filipino. “Let’s just dismiss the official on Jan. 3.”

Roque did not identify the official or the reason for the  fall from Duterte’s graces. Roque is expected to provide details in a press conference tomorrow. He replied in the affirmative when asked if he was talking about a high-level official.

“The fight of the President is not just against drugs but also against the corrupt in government,” the spokesman said. “He wants the big fish to serve as an example.”

Duterte has vowed not to tolerate even a whiff of corruption in his government and has promised to fire officials tagged in wrongdoing.

Among the officials he had dismissed were former interior secretary Ismael Sueno, tagged in an allegedly anomalous truck deal with an Austrian firm, and former National Irrigation Administration chief Peter Laviña, accused of asking money from contractors.

Last month, Duterte sacked Presidential Commission on Urban Poor head Terry Ridon and his four commissioners over alleged foreign junkets.

Duterte also asked Development Academy of the Philippines president Elba Cruz to leave her post after she was accused of traveling frequently, threatening to terminate anyone who questions her policies and appointing non-plantilla officers to official posts.

Recently, a group of seafarers urged Duterte to act on the alleged unnecessary foreign trips of Maritime Industry Authority administrator Marcial Amaro III. Duterte told reporters last week that he has not seen the complaint.

Officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) are also mired in controversy after spending millions for a Christmas party.

PCSO general manager Alexander Balutan earlier confirmed the agency’s spending P6 million for the party. But he insisted that the 1,580 PCSO employees deserved the party because they worked hard to increase the earnings of the agency.