By Genalyn D. Kabiling
President Duterte has fired Maritime Industry Authority Administrator Marcial Amaro III over his “excessive” travels abroad, Malacañang announced yesterday.
The President’s decision came after an inquiry showed Amaro made a total of 24 foreign travels in 2016 and 2017, mostly shouldered by the government.
“The President has tasked me to announce that he has terminated the services of Mr. Marcial Cusi Amaro, administrator of MARINA,” presidential spokesman Harry Roque said during a press briefing in Davao City.
He said the Office of the President recently received a complaint from MARINA employees about Amaro’s 11 foreign trips last year. But when the Department of Transportation was ordered to check Amaro’s travels, the President found out that the MARINA chief actually made 18 foreign trips in 2017.
“It turns out that the complaint of the employees is wrong because while the employees said that Mr. Amaro made 11 trips in 2017 alone, the DoTr reported that Mr. Amaro in fact made 18 official travels in 2017,” Roque said. “In 2016, he had six or a total 24 travels. The President therefore decided to terminate his services,” he added.
Roque said foreign trips of Amaro, except one, were official, “but the point of the President is we have to be selective in the trips.”
“Definitely, 24 travels is excessive. Of the 24 travels, only three were sponsored trips. All the other trips were paid for by the Philippine government,” he said.
Amaro also received honorarium and other sums for his trips abroad, according to Roque. “We underscore the fact that previously chair Terry Ridon was also terminated because of seven foreign travels and if seven foreign travels were deemed excessive by the President, then 24 travels is definitely excessive by the President’s standards,” Roque said.
He said Amaro’s dismissal should serve a reminder to other government officials “to live modest lives and to avoid unnecessary trips.”
Roque was supposed to identify the official to be fired by the President last Wednesday during a Palace news conference. But on Wednesday morning, he was ordered to hold off the announcement pending a review of the legislative charter of the agency where in the official serves.
Under Presidential Decree No. 505, that created MARINA, the President may remove the administrator from office for cause upon recommendation of the board.