The President made the announcement during the 16th founding anniversary of the Supreme Tribal Council for Peace and Development Inc. in Davao City, adding when he returns to Manila, more executive officials would be on the chopping board.
“Do you know how many government officials I have fired already? A lot. I will fire more upon my return to Manila,” Duterte said.
The President, who will spend the Holy Week in Davao, did not give more details on who will be affected by the changes.
Earlier, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the President would make some changes in his Cabinet as he was apparently not satisfied with the performance of some members of his official family.
The President, whose campaign promise included eradicating corruption in the government, said the public could expect more officials to be fired.
Duterte has said he’s been spending a lot of time just to clean up government, adding “It’s still graft and corruption. It has been pulling us down through the years… I will not hesitate. I have fired so many before and I will fire so many of you now and in the future.”
The Chief Executive has sacked several Cabinet members and government officials over alleged corrupt practices.
Duterte fired on Jan. 4 Philippine Maritime Industry Authority chief Marcial Amaro III over alleged junkets.
Amaro maintained his trips abroad were for official business, and a certain business group was behind the move to replace him.
Duterte also let go of former Dangerous Drugs Board chief Diniosio Santiago and former Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno for alleged corruption.
At the same time, Duterte warned he would punish law enforcers who continue to ignore the law by letting colorum vehicles to operate in exchange for certain amount of consideration.
“Several law enforcers are turning a blind eye on colorum vehicles. That regulation against illegally operating units must be fully enforced,” Duterte said when he went to the crash site in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro, where a Dimple Star bus fell into a ravine and left 19 dead and 21 wounded.
“It has been there like cancer, many Filipinos died too soon because of the illegal racket of these people,” he said.
The Chief Executive has ordered transport officials to embark on a nationwide crackdown against unregistered public utility vehicles following the fatal bus accident in Occidental Mindoro.
“Now is the time for the government to prove itself and should take responsibility in protecting its people,” he said.
The Chief Executive personally checked the condition of injured passengers at San Sebastian District Hospital.
He also visited the wake of a victim and condoled with the relatives.
“I had a meeting with the Highway Patrol and the chief of police there. I told them to ‘apprehend all the colorum drivers and operators in the Philippines,’” he said.
“Lock them up because I want them to experience life in jail,” the President said.
Duterte explained his order was meant to eliminate the operation of colorum or unregistered vehicles.
At the same time, Duterte instructed authorities to impound the colorum vehicles and to conduct a drug test for PUV drivers.
He said the arrest of the colorum public utility drivers and operators was valid because they were violating laws and regulations.
“When a vehicle is not registered and uninsured, and you park it in terminals, that is considered as fraud,” he explained, noting the units were not maintained well by the owners.
“We got used to vans that are unregistered, uninsured, and has (sic) unmaintained engines and tires, and we do not do anything about it almost every day,” he said.
Duterte noted that some drivers involved in mishaps would not even be apprehended for reckless imprudence.
“It would eventually be declared as an accident,” he said.