To those who are working in government and want only to steal taxpayers’ money, President Rodrigo Duterte has a message for you: Don’t do it.
On Tuesday (October 11), the President revealed a plan to use the People’s Television Network (PTV-4) as a medium for people to air complaints against erring public officers and employees in a bid to rid the government of corruption.
Duterte made the statement as he led the mass oath-taking of newly appointed government officials and the members of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines in Malacañan Palace.
The President urged the public to freely air their grievances against wayward public officials, noting that corruption in government regulatory agencies is still rampant.
“Just text the agency and the person with whom you have a gripe, a grievance to express, tell me about the issue and maybe that would be more in keeping with transparency,” he said.
“Six years is a very limited time to implement reforms. I cannot erase all, I cannot stop all of it, but I can minimize it,” he added.
The idea is to allot an hour each day so people could send their complaints to be aired through the government-owned television network, Duterte said.
The Chief Executive said he would ask inputs from lawyers to finetune the measure.
He said he wants to strike a balance between keeping the public informed, allowing them to air grievances and safeguarding people’s privacy.
He said he felt insulted by the continuing corruption in government, adding that fighting abuses was one of the cornerstones of his administration.
With regard to addressing illegal drugs in the country, he said that a rehabilitation center in Fort Magsaysay will open soon, which could house more than 1,000 drug dependents.
The President also informed local officials about his scheduled trips to Brunei and China, which could open more opportunities for the country.
He likewise announced his scheduled visit to Japan after his trips to Brunei and China. After that, he intends to go to Russia.PND
