Duterte to sack high-ranking official, police officers in 1st week of 2018

Mara Cepeda

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Duterte to sack high-ranking official, police officers in 1st week of 2018

Malacañan Photo

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque says President Rodrigo Duterte's decision to fire more public officials reflects his intent to fight corruption in government

MANILA, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte will sack a high-ranking presidential appointee and several police officers in the first week of 2018,  Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said on Tuesday, January 2. 

Roque said in an interview with radio dzBB that Duterte had already decided to fire a high-ranking official, but the Palace spokesman will only announce the name on Wednesday, January 3, because the investigation was still being wrapped up.

Mayroon naman kasi iyang tinatawag din na due process. Pero tapos na naman iyong imbestigasyon at nandiyan na lahat ng dokumento pero tingnan natin po. Anyway bukas naman po iyon maaanunsiyo kung ipapa-anunsiyo na tuluyan ‘no,” Roque told dzBB.

(That’s not a blind item. There is due process involved. The investigation is about to finished and all documents are being closely examined. Anyway, we are going to make the announcement tomorrow if we are given the go signal.)

He did not disclose any other details of the official, even refusing to say whether the official is male or female. 

Roque said Duterte will also sack several erring police officers, including some police colonels. 

He said this showed Duterte’s intent to fight corruption in government.

Pero ang punto po ay unang-una eh talagang seryoso po ang Presidente dito sa laban sa katiwalian sa gobyerno. At pangalawa, asahan ninyo po na wala pong sinasanto ang Presidente – wala po iyang kaibigan, walang kaklase, walang kabarilan. Basta ikaw ay palpak, ikaw ay sibak,” said Roque. 

(But the point here is, first, the President is really serious in fighting corruption in government. Second, expect the President to spare no one – not friends, classmates, or gun buddies. If you fail, you’ll get sacked.)

The President already fired several appointees who were linked to corruption allegations.

Just last month, Duterte asked Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) president Elba Cruz to vacate her post as her term already expired in June 2017. 

DAP employees accused Cruz of unauthorized organizational restructuring of the DAP, violations of Civil Service Commission (CSC) rules, continuous threats of mass termination against employees, and frequent foreign travels. 

Duterte also fired all the commissioners of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor over “unnecessary junkets.”

He had also sacked former interior secretary Ismael Sueno, former information and communications technology secretary Rodolfo Salalima, and National Irrigation Administration chief Peter Tiu Laviña.

Duterte had accused Sueno of corruption, which the latter categorically denied. No corruption-related case had been filed against Sueno since he left the Cabinet in April 2017.  – Rappler.com

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Mara Cepeda

Mara Cepeda specializes in stories about politics and local governance. She covers the Office of the Vice President, the Senate, and the Philippine opposition. She is a 2021 fellow of the Asia Journalism Fellowship and the Reham al-Farra Memorial Journalism Fellowship of the UN. Got tips? Email her at mara.cepeda@rappler.com or tweet @maracepeda.