President Rodrigo Duterte admitted that it is impossible to end government corruption.
According to Duterte, although he promised, the bureaucracy should not be expected to be very clean because it is impossible for this to happen.
“I cannot — do not expect me to entirely clean as a pristine clean the bureaucracy. That is impossible and cannot really be achievable. Pero as we go along our way, marami na tayong — talagang itong corruption,” said Duterte.
But he also said that it will be reduced because he will devote the remaining months of his tenure to fight corruption.
“As I have promised the nation, I said I would dedicate the last remaining months of my stay in the Office of the President going after corrupt people. So that by the time na ano, maminus-minus na,” said Duterte.
In relation to this, Duterte named some employees of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) who have been suspended or removed from office due to corruption.
It is impossible to end corruption in PH – Duterte
According to Duterte, some of them were removed from office after allegedly accepting a bribe to release or acquit a drug suspect.
“If you are a — if you are bribing or you are in the take that you can be bribed, you should not be there in the service at all. Hindi ako puwede magsabi niyang i-dis — ah i-suspend lang kasi gagawa ito nang gagawa nang gagawa sa… Those policemen, PNP, na ang mga kasalanan itong related sa drugs pati itong pera, malversation, there’s only one penalty there: They should not be in government. They should be out in the streets,” he said.
He ordered the PDEA to permanently remove the said corrupt employees from office.
“I’ll be asking the PDEA to come up with the list of itong lahat ng mga tao in government, lalo na ‘yang law enforcement, na kung sino iyong napatanggal kasi may suspetsa ako — hindi lang suspetsa — sigurado ako na gagawa ito ng milagro para to continue with this nefarious activity.So, bantayan ito sila. There must be a team dedicated to watch only these guys who were dismissed from the service,” said Duterte.