Malacanang on Monday confirmed that President Duterte has removed three undersecretaries at the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea confirmed that Duterte has terminated the appointments of DSWD Undersecretary for Promotive Operations and Programs Group Maria Lourdes Turalde-Jarabe, Undersecretary for Protective Operations and Programs Group Mae Ancheta-Templa, and Undersecretary for Disaster Response Management Group Hope Hervilla,
Medialdea said the move aims to enable new Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rolando Bautista to bring in his own people to the agency.
“We expect the new secretary to bring his own team to provide better services to the public,” he said.
Prior to their appointments, the three undersecretaries were part of three different Left-leaning groups. Jarabe was a former secretary general of Gabriela while Hervilla was once a Bayan Muna regional chairperson. Templa, on the other hand, was a member of Forum of Women for Action with Rody Duterte.
Medialdea denied that the three officials were sacked because of their ties with the Left. “No naman. Formation of a good team,” Medialdea said.
In a speech before Filipinos in Papua New Guinea last week, Duterte announced that another government official would be axed once he returns to the Philippines. He said that it is in line with his crackdown on corruption in the public sector.
“I fired a Cabinet member during a Cabinet meeting for lying. May tinatanong ako sa kanya. ‘Did you consult your legal office?’ Sabi niya, ‘No,’” Duterte said, without naming the official.
“Nag-init ang ulo ko, sabi ko, and since then marami na ako until now and when I go back meron na naman. Talagang tanggalin kita, sorry na lang,” he added. (Argyll Geducos)
