President Rodrigo Duterte interacts with the young cancer patients during the Southern Philippine Medical Center (SPMC) Children’s Cancer Institute (CCI) Thanksgiving and Open House at the SPMC in Davao City on August 10, 2017. Also in the photo is CCI Head Dr. Mae Dolendo. (JOEY DALUMPINES/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines – President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated his previous statements he will go down from the Presidency if any of his children is proven to have been involved in graft and corruption.
President Duterte led the thanksgiving and open house activity of the Cancer Institute at the Southern Philippines Medical Center here on Thursday, August 10.
The President also expressed grief as the name of his son was recently implicated in the controversy inside the Bureau of Customs.
“The sad thing is that the name of my son, the Vice Mayor, has cropped up,” President Duterte said.
The name of Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte was mentioned by Mark Taguba, one of the witnesses presented at the hearing on BOC controversy being conducted by the House committee on dangerous drugs.
But the vice mayor had already dismissed the claims of Taguba, calling the same as mere hearsay.
In a statement he sent to the media, the younger Duterte said: “One done not dignify lies with a response.”
“Noong nag-umpisa ako, right at the start sa inauguration, I made a solemn commitment to you, that if any one of my children, si Inday (Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio), si Polong (Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte) o si Baste (Baste Duterte) masali sa graft, I will step down as President of this Republic at once,” President Duterte said.
The President added: “And I’m repeating it today. Wala kayong maano sa akin. What I say in public, I will do. O ngayon those are allegations, gamitan ng pangalan.”
He also asserted his strong resolve to end graft and corruption in the country.
The President said graft and corruption is a “cancer” that hurt not only the economy of the nation but also the lives of ordinary people.
“Kaya kung ganito, if I cannot hack it, if I cannot solve the problem, if I’m … pati pamilya ko ay madali diyan sa mga korapsyon-korapsyon, bibitaw ako,” President Duterte said, adding that the pledge he uttered since the first day of his office is an honor.
“Wala kayong dapat alalahanin sa akin. Do not worry, I will honor the word, I give you my commitment again,” he said. (davaotoday.com)
