President Duterte is apparently pleased with the performance of his Cabinet that includes many retired military officers.
“All my Cabinet members are really good and honest men,” the President said during a television program of evangelist Apollo Quiboloy last Wednesday, ahead of his fourth State-of-the-Nation Address before a joint session of Congress at the Batasang Pambansa in Quezon City on Monday.
The President, a former Davao City mayor, explained that he chose military men to join the Cabinet due to integrity and competence.
He noted that he knew these former military officers when they were assigned in Mindanao. “Kaibigan nga namin ni Pastor karamihan diyan eh. And they know me, my entrails, at alam ko ‘yung ano nila,” he added.
“Police, military. Pagka-corrupt ka, corrupt ‘yan lahat pero for as long as you stay nose clean, you can expect everybody will follow,” he said.
Duterte explained that that former military men follow orders and get the job done, citing the efficient cleanup and rehabilitation of Boracay as well as the land reform project on the island.
Unlike military men, he noted that some civilian personnel tend to question his orders and delay the project implementation. “Dito naman sa bureaucracy, and I don’t – this is not really a brief against you, mga critic. May inutos ka na, makipagdebate pa sa iyo. ‘Sir, ganito, sir. Sir, ganun.’ Pagkatapos, ‘O, sige, sige na,” he said.
The President admitted there will be some changes in the Cabinet. Duterte said Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol will be transferred to head the Mindanao Development Authority to serve as his point man to spur the development of the new Bangsamoro autonomous region.
He said he was “scouting” for a military man to take the place of Piñol at the Agriculture department. “I assume maybe again a military man. Kasi madali mag-utos, magtrabaho. And they do it without a question. Kaya sabi ko sa kanya, when I tell you do this and do that, do not question me because I will never give you an order to do something that is illegal,” he said. (Genalyn Kabiling)
