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'I will reach you,' Duterte warns corrupt gov't officials

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Jaehwa Bernardo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/news/07/26/20210726-duterte-sona-pcoo-screengrab20.jpg"/><figcaption>President Rodrigo Duterte gives his last State of the Nation Address at the House of Representatives on July 26, 2021. <em>PCOO screengrab</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA— President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he had a year left to go after corrupt government officials, vowing that he would catch them.</p><p>&quot;I still have about a year to go. I will reach you,&quot; Duterte said in his sixth and last State of the Nation Address (SONA).</p><p>In his speech, Duterte said his administration has dismissed about 200 government personnel because of corruption.</p><p>&quot;Some I did not allow the publication because may mga pamilya (they have families),&quot; he said.</p><p>The dismissed personnel include those involved in the &quot;pastillas&quot; bribery scam, under which Chinese nationals allegedly bribed immigration workers to enter the Philippines as tourists and later work for Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations hubs. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/05/20/nbi-files-corruption-raps-vs-86-immigration-officials-over-pastillas-scam">NBI files corruption raps vs 86 Immigration officials over &#x27;pastillas scam&#x27;</a></li></ul><p>But Duterte also said corruption was &quot;endemic&quot; in the government.</p><p>If the next president wants to get rid of corruption, they should &quot;declare martial law,&quot; and remove and replace all government workers, Duterte said.</p><p>&quot;Kung hindi mo gaganunin, walang mangyayari. Nandiyan [&#x27;yong corruption], it&#x27;s in the system,&quot; he said.</p><p>(If you won&#x27;t do that, nothing will happen. Corruption is there, it&#x27;s in the system.)</p><p>Duterte said this just weeks after taking offense of former ally Sen. Manny Pacquiao&#x27;s remarks on supposed worse corruption under his administration. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/12/21/duterte-i-think-pacquiao-is-punch-drunk">Duterte: &#x27;I think Pacquiao is punch-drunk&#x27;</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/29/21/duque-doh-ready-investigation-audit-pacquiao-corruption-allegations">Duque &#x27;disheartened&#x27; over Pacquiao&#x27;s corruption allegations vs DOH</a></li></ul><p>Duterte, in his first SONA in 2016, vowed a &quot;clean government&quot; under his leadership. </p><p>In the same year, Duterte issued an executive order on freedom of information, which he said in his latest SONA promoted transparency in government.</p><p>Duterte also mentioned the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission that dealt with erring government officials.</p><p>Still, several corruption controversies erupted under Duterte&#x27;s term, such as the alleged &quot;pastillas scam&quot; in the immigration bureau as well supposedly missing P15 billion in funds at the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth).</p><p>Pacquiao recently bared alleged fraud in the distribution of pandemic aid to poor families. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/03/21/pacquiao-corruption-starpay-pandemic-aid">Pacquiao bares P10.4-B in SAP funds missing, questions use of Starpay e-wallet</a></li></ul><p>In 2020, the Philippines ranked 115th out of 180 coutnries in a global corruption index, improving its position by 2 notches.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/02/02/21/ph-slips-to-115th-place-in-global-corruption-index">PH slips to 115th place in global corruption index</a></li></ul><div><strong>Streamlined government processes</strong></div><p>In his latest SONA, Duterte also thanked Congress for passing the Ease of Doing Business Act, which he said streamlined government processes.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/05/28/18/duterte-signs-ease-of-doing-business-act">Duterte signs Ease of Doing Business Act</a></li></ul><p>Duterte said government transactions would be further streamlined with the Philippine National Identification System.</p><p>&quot;We hope to facilitate them, better services and access for all Filipinos, even in far-flung areas,&quot; he said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/business/05/25/21/10-million-filipinos-complete-national-id-psa">10 million Filipinos complete National ID registration step 2</a></li></ul><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1734878" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he had a year left to go after corrupt government officials.</p>

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said he had a year left to go after corrupt government officials.

'I will reach you,' Duterte warns corrupt gov't officials

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'I will reach you,' Duterte warns corrupt gov't officials

Jaehwa Bernardo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 26, 2021 06:28 PM PHT

|

Updated Jul 26, 2021 06:32 PM PHT

Read More:

State of the Nation Address

SONA

SONA 2021

Rodrigo Duterte

Duterte last SONA

corruption

government corruption

pastillas scam

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