President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on Monday, July 17, led the mass oath-taking of Presidential appointees and officials from various government organizations, reminding them to live a more prudent life while working in the service of the Filipino people.
After he administered their oath of office, President Duterte advised the officials to follow his lead by avoiding the lavish lifestyle and being more honest in spending public resources.
“There are some basic fundamentals that we have to agree on. First is talagang I do not want corruption. Second is just follow my — ‘yung luxury… Just keep your money and do not display it in public,” he said during his speech in Malacañan.
The President reminded officials not to “display the trappings of power” asking them to avoid using luxury vehicles, as well as taking business class when traveling.
He also reiterated his dedication to rid the government of graft and corruption and his commitment to cleanse the country of illegal drugs.
He vowed that there will be no sacred cows in his government and he will not think twice to fire corrupt officials.
“Alam mo, magkaibigan tayo lahat kasi kung hindi tayo magkaibigan, hindi ko kayo i-appoint. Pagka nagkamali kayo ng corruption, talagang babanatan ko kayo,” he said.
“Dito sa Malacañan ito, I never signed anything about money. Maghanap kayo ng voucher diyan o ano, wala kayong makikita kasi tapusin ko ito na — ‘yung pangako ko sa tao. Panindigan ko talaga ‘yan,” he added.
The Commander-in-Chief also talked about the ongoing conflict in Marawi City, expressing his grief over the deaths of Filipino soldiers and policemen who fought against the rebels.
“Akala mo ba everyday, nababasa ko ‘yung briefer. My heart bleeds. You know why? I’m losing soldiers, ganon karami… And I declared martial law and sent the soldiers there to die,” he said.
He stressed that he did not declare martial law to cling to power but to resolve the problems in Mindanao.
In conclusion, the Chief Executive said he expects more backlash from his critics regarding his strong policies against crime and illegal drugs. But he assured the public of his continuous fight to restore peace and order throughout the country.
“I expect them to criticize me again. But I will not take it sitting down,” the President said.
“I said, ginagawa ko ito para sa bayan ko… Ako, ang oath of office ko, pati inyo, ganito ‘yan… It just says ‘I, Rodrigo Duterte, will do everything to preserve and defend the Filipino people’,” he added. ###PND
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