DAVAO CITY — President Rodrigo Duterte is physically and mentally fit to run the country until the end of his term in 2022.
This was emphasized by Special Assistant to President Rodrigo Duterte (SAP) Secretary Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go during the distribution of relief goods to more than 200 families affected by the fire incident that hit Purok 2-A, Barangay 76-A in Bucana, this city.
Go said the President is not resigning and when the President said he wanted to step down, it was because he is tired.
He said the Chief Executive was exasperated because of the continued corruption, despite all his efforts to clean the government.
Duterte continues to receive information about officials involved in corruption, according to his top aide. He cited the ghost deliveries that various agencies have been involved in, among other incidences.
Go said it disheartened the Chief Executive to let go of some people almost every week as they had helped during his campaign for the presidency.
According to him, the President needs the cooperation of everybody in his administration.
During the joint command conference of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police earlier this week in the Palace, Duterte said he was thinking of resigning and handing over the presidency to a more competent leader, who can solve the country’s problem, because he was tired.
The President said graft and corruption is so embedded and endemic that “it is always a part of the territory of a transaction, especially by government.”
Duterte said he is getting old and exasperated and that with the limited three years remaining in his term, he could even hardly make a dent. (Lilian Mellejor/PNA)
