MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte said Tuesday he would conduct year-round lifestyle checks on government workers as he warned those involved in corruption to stop or place themselves in jeopardy of prison.
“Those who are used to extra frills…this time, you have to learn how to live frugally and tone down. If you use to buy cars for everybody in the family, I’m sorry do not do that,” Duterte said during the 69th anniversary of the Air Force in Clark, Pampanga.
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“The lifestyle check will be all year around, I would know from your garage. I will look at your garage and see how many cars you have. I’m sorry I have to say this in public,” he added.
Duterte, in particular, called on employees of the Internal Revenue and Customs bureaus to do away with corruption and other illegal practices such as fixing.
“I hope (customs commissioner Nicanor) Faeldon would do his thing and stop corruption. (Internal revenue commissioner Caesar) Billy Dulay, I know him. He is very good. He is honest. I hope he can deliver,” the president said.
“To those in the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue), stop because I will make a trail out of it. Everything is being monitored,” he added.
Duterte said he would use “technical” to stamp out corruption in the revenue-generating bureaus but did not elaborate.
“I will listen to you. That’s the only way to fight corruption,” he said.
Duterte stressed that the public should not pay for something that the government is supposed to provide. He recalled that when he was a fiscal, he had to pay to get his things at the post office.
“We have corruption in government. Again it has to stop,” he said.
“You place yourself in jeopardy of going to prison.”
Last month, Duterte vowed to be harsh in dealing with corruption to meet the expectations of the more than 16 million Filipinos who voted for him.
He also promised a massive clean-up of the Bureau of Internal Revenue, Bureau of Customs and Land Transportation Office, agencies that he described as the “most corrupt” in government.