PEOPLE believe that the crusading Duterte administration has its pulse on public opinion – and that public opinion supports the total war against graft and corruption in the bureaucracy.
Indeed, the Filipino people, particularly the “poorest of the poor,” now want the government to jail all the thieves in state uniform and their cohorts in the private sector before June 30, 2022.
Under the 1987 Constitution, the six-year presidency of the tough-talking Chief Executive from Davao City in impoverished but natural resources-rich Mindanao ends at 12 noon on this day.
In fact, Sen. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” T. Go, the former special assistant to the president, said President Rodrigo Duterte is committed to fight graft and corruption “until the last day of his term.”
“Gusto ni Pangulo na mag-iwan ng pagbabago sa bansa, lalo na sa kampanya labansa korapsyon – pagbabagong ramdam dapat ng taumbayan,” said Go, chair of the Senate health committee.
Go had earlier lauded President Duterte for heeding calls to create an expanded inter-agency task force (TF) to resolve numerous allegations of prevalent systemic corruption in government offices.
The TF is mandated to probe all issues of corruption, prosecute and file charges, conduct lifestyle checks, audit funds, recommend suspensions and jail all those found guilty of corrupt practices.
And we are made to believe that Duterte is out to name names “tuwing may makakasuhan at masususpinde ng Ombudsman…para malaman po ng taumbayankung sino ‘yung mga may kaso.”
President Duterte’s intensified campaign against graft and corruption must also raise the cue for department, bureau and office heads to now hit hard at their erring officials and employees.
This, if they want to remain in office until the end of the Duterte administration on June 30, 2022.
