By Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos
President Duterte has said that he is only trying to fulfill his campaign promise to end corruption in government when he fired and will fire government officials due to unnecessary or excessive foreign trips.
Duterte, in a speech during the birth anniversary celebration of House Speaker D. Pantaleon Alvarez in Davao del Norte, reiterated his resolve to fulfill his campaign promises within the one term given to him.
“It’s part of the campaign against corruption. Not only done with malice but those who just want to spend money of government for nothing,” he said. “‘Wag ho kayong magalit sa akin because these are the promises that I made,” he added.
Duterte said he is in keen on cleansing the government of officials who waste people’s money by going in and out of the country more than they should have.
“Kasi corruption talaga nandiyan and I’m starting it with those guys who have been wasting money, going in and out of the country as if they owned the money and for nothing,” he said.
“They go out every convocation, convention, powwow, seminar, labas ng labas. And for those who have traveled more than 12, you have to go,” Duterte said.
Duterte said that he is not totally banning government officials from going overseas but they would have to follow the memorandum order issued by the Office of the Executive Secretary last week.
“Local government will enforce it. You have to – be sure to give me well ahead in time, your itinerary and give me a synopsis or – just a short memo of what you intend to do and what is it all about,” Duterte said.
Under the memorandum order, all government officials under the Executive branch are barred from making foreign trips, except when they travel at their own expense, and if the country will greatly benefit from them.
