President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said that dishonest people have no place in his government, as he urged businessmen to be assertive in reporting corrupt officials.
In a speech, the President vowed that he would not grant government positions to those involved in corruption.
“If you are not ready to be at least honest fundamentally, then do not work in the government,” President Duterte said.
“I will be frank, everyone in this government, including those in my Cabinet, who asked for a job, even though you want it, that’s already denied,” he added.
Known for his anti-corruption campaign, the President assured traders that they would not be harmed if they report corrupt officials.
He also recognized the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs as the most corrupt government agencies.
The President, however, clarified that “not all BIR and Customs personnel are corrupt.”
“All that I ask of you is be assertive and do not surrender to the threats and the intimidations that you will encounter while they are examining your books,” Duterte said.
He has repeatedly vowed to fire government officials involved in corruption even if he was criticized for re-appointing sacked officials to other posts.
