Duterte to resigned labor official: Shut up, or else…

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — President Duterte has warned former labor undersecretary Dominador Say to shut up or he would make public a sworn statement detailing Say’s alleged corrupt activities in office.

Duterte issued the warning in a speech at the 24th Annual Convention of the National Federation of Motorcycle Clubs of the Philippines in Legazpi City, Albay on Saturday.

“You better shut up or tell the truth immediately. I have the affidavit on my desk and I could give it to the media. Then I would ask to endorse it to the ombudsman,” he said.

Say resigned last week as labor undersecretary for policy, employment and regional operations. He said he was not doing enough to resolve the country’s contractualization dilemma.

Duterte, however, was bent on firing Say even before then justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II resigned.

Say was said to have long been in the list of officials the President wanted to kick out.

“As the (labor) department official in charge of policy, I felt I was not doing well enough in order to articulate and blend the interests of both labor and management, and so the issue of contractualization could not see its fruitful conclusion,” Say was earlier quoted as saying.

Duterte insisted that the case with Say should also serve as a warning to the corrupt in government.

“If you do not call it a change, so be it. But I’m trying here to rid (government) of corrupt officials. That’s my warning,” Duterte said.

The President has sacked several department heads as well as Cabinet officials involved in graft and corruption while in office.

The President kicked out Philippine Maritime Industry Authority chief Marcial Amaro III, Dangerous Drugs Board chief Dionisio Santiago and Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno.

Duterte also kicked out former information technology chief Rodolfo Salalima and former National Irrigation Authority chief Peter Laviña.