MANILA, Philippines — The corruption in the tax and customs bureaus is just a “pittance” compared to the one in higher levels of government, President Duterte said, as he reiterated his resolve to put billionaires in jail.?
Duterte said Filipinos should be vigilant regarding actions of what he called “sons of b******” in the upper echelons of government whom he blamed for the country’s underdevelopment.?
“I do not mean to belabor the point. I don’t want because these fools might say that I am targeting them. But as I have insisted during the campaign, I told you the corruption in customs, BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue), they are just pittance to the corruption being done upstairs in the higher or in the highest echelons of government. It’s true,” the President said during the anniversary of the social welfare department in Quezon City last Wednesday.?
“I do not want to sound vindictive. I am not vindictive. After I slap you, we’re done. After I kick you, I’m done with you. We’re OK. But these kinds of wrongdoings... So guard against the son of a b**** upstairs,” he added.
Duterte said he is angry with the rich because of their supposed wrongdoings to the nation.
“What I will do is I will have you arrested. I want to see Philippine billionaires and millionaires in jail even for just one month. I am really furious,” the President said. “If you compute, all the corruptions done by those, by the customs, it pales in comparison.”
Duterte went on to enumerate deals that he claimed are disadvantageous to the government, including the water concession contracts, Light Rail Transit project and University of the Philippines (UP)-Ayala Land Technohub agreement.?
He has threatened to file large-scale estafa charges against the owners of water distributors Maynilad and Manila Water, whom he accused of using their concession deals to “milk” Filipinos by the billions.
?He has also ordered a probe of the deal between UP and Ayala Land for the commercial development of a 37-hectare property in Quezon City.
There have been claims that Ayala Land has been paying less than P20 per square meter in monthly rentals to UP but the real estate firm denied these, saying the lease rate paid to the state university is P171.
Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said UP sent him a copy of its contract with Ayala Land last Wednesday.