President Duterte said the public should just elect another leader like Ferdinand Marcos if they want to rid the government of corruption.
An exasperated Duterte said that even if he is given two decades to run the government, he can never eradicate graft and corruption even with the constitutional powers granted to him.
“Hindi ko kaya itong corruption kasi maski saang… If there’s a table, if there’s a single chair there, meron talaga ‘yan as the papers go back and forth, inward. That is why nawalaan ako ng tiwala sa bureaucracy,” he said.
“Sabihin ko nagsisi ako kasi akala ko within the constitutional powers na ibinigay sa akin, kaya ko,” he added.
“Pero sa batas na ito, Constitution, even if you give me 20 years I cannot do it. Maghanap uli kayo ng Marcos. Or someday, somehow, somewhere that fellow will be elected in the generations to come,” he continued.
The President also said that the Philippines will never be like Hong Kong. “Kung sabihin mo mag-improve tayo beyond the level that we find ourselves economically, politically, well I’m sorry, I’m telling you, hindi dadating ‘yan,” Duterte said.
“Not even half what Hong Kong will be in 30 years. Sobra kasi ang… I don’t know but the constitution that… I’m not trying to criticize. It is as good as any,” he added. (Argyll Geducos)