Duterte says he fired ‘5 or 6’ Cabinet members due to corruption

MANILA, Philippines — President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday night said he has fired up to six Cabinet members due to alleged corruption.

“When I became President, I heard reports of corruption. So si [Acting Environment] Secretary [Jim] Sampulna is new because I fired them all. I won’t name anybody because it’s painful for them for this to have happened. But you know, whether you helped me during the elections or contributed something good, I am very thankful,” he said in Cebuano in Lapu Lapu City where he met with officers and members of the National Task Force and Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict

“Pero alam mo maski kaibigan tayo (But you know, even if we are friends), I have fired—hindi lang ninyo alam, hindi kasi ako mahilig ng (you just did not know)… I’m not fond of announcing to the media pero about—in the process, I’ve fired five or six Cabinet members because of corruption,” he added.

Duterte said he had fired these Cabinet officials “a long time ago.”

“I’m not campaigning, I’m just talking about what ails the system. I’m not even naming names, but to those who are listening now, did you know about this? But if you ask me, I’ll say who are the Cabinet members that I fired. I fired them a long time ago. I’ve probably fired around six of them—an unholy hour, I really—nagbuhos din ako ng sama ng loob (I also expressed my resentment),” he said.

“You know, kaibigan tayo (we are friends), I invited you in hoping that you could help me. O if you helped me, then it’s coupled with corruption, talagang sabi ko (I really said) you know you have to go. It pains me deeply too but I never realized that you are capable of doing it because I thought all the while na pag-usapan natin dito, ‘yung tama lang (we were just talking about what was right here),” the President added.