“I JUST want graft and corruption stopped and the parties involved in that corruption be prosecuted by the mayor, the city council, or the barangay captain.”
Thus, declared President Duterte last Sunday, warning corrupt local government authorities that he would account for their behavior once the COVID-19 situation in the country improves.
He urged barangay captains, in particular, to refrain from acting like gods in their respective villages, saying they do not deserve to be part of the government if they acted in such a manner.
“You are just a human being. I’m sure that you know nothing or little at all about governance if you are there into corruption,” President Duterte said in a late-night public address.
The first Mindanaoan to occupy the top political post of the land, the tough-talking Chief Executive said that he had no respect or compassion for corrupt government officials.
Instead of engaging in corrupt activities, he urged local government and barangay officials to “work” by strictly enforcing localized lockdowns to prevent the spread of the killer virus.
In the view of many, getting results in the anti-corruption drive means “hindi lang malalaking isda kundi pati na ‘yong mga maliliit na isda” should be brought before the courts and jailed if found guilty.
Agencies tasked to go after corrupt officials ought to act now – and fast – if we are to stop “world-class larceny” in the country before the end of the six-year Duterte presidency on June 30, 2022.
President Duterte will have the support of the people, including the ordinary citizens not only in the metropolis but throughout the country, in his campaign against wrongdoing in the bureaucracy.
Let’s bite the bullet now and jail all those who continue to make a mockery of the national government’s anti-corruption crusade. (PEOPLES TONITE)