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DOHA – Harassed by corrupt revenue personnel? Shoot them.
This was the advice of President Duterte to the business community here while stressing he would not condone any form of corruption during his watch.
“If somebody from the Internal Revenue, Customs would ask you even P10, shoot him,” the President said during the Philippine-Qatar business forum on Saturday.
He said the Philippines is “open for everybody… and there is no corruption. Because the one thing that pulled my country down all these years was corruption,” he added.
Duterte said he has fired several officials implicated in corrupt activities, including a Cabinet member and a friend who had been with him since he was still mayor of Davao City.
He was referring to former interior secretary Ismael Sueno, who was dismissed over alleged irregularities in the purchase of firetrucks from Australia and former National Irrigation Administration chief Peter Laviña, who was accused of asking money from contractors.
Sueno and Laviña have denied the allegations and maintained they were just vilified by their detractors.
Duterte also promised to honor contracts and obligations as required by the Philippine Constitution.
“Insofar as trade is concerned I can assure you, what we sign and I agree with you will be done even if we lose in the transaction, we will honor what we have promised,” the President said.
“Philippines has always been known to not honor contract – no, no, not this time. It’s because many people would like to get hold of the contract and if the commission is not big enough for distribution, they would suspend the contract and everything. Nothing of the sort,” he added.
Duterte also vowed to fire government officials receiving salaries worth P2.8 million but did not provide specifics.
“I can live with my salary. It’s a little bit small. You know there are officials in government receiving P2,800,000. I should be firing them before the end of the month. All of them. Because why? I envy (them) because mine is only P130,000,” the President said.
“I do not sign any allowances. I live by my salary,” he added.
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