Friday, April 3, 2020

Duterte orders firing of PACC commissioner, distances self from Vico probe

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte ordered the firing of a commissioner of his anti-graft commission and distanced himself from an NBI probe into Pasig mayor Vico Sotto over an alleged violation of quarantine rules.

Addressing the nation late Friday night, Duterte put Philippine Anti-Corruption Commissioner (PACC) commissioner Manuelito Luna to task for calling for a probe into Vice-President Leni Robredo in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

Luna said Robredo should be probed for 'competing' with government efforts efforts - a statement that was since disowned by the other members of the PACC board, including its chairman Dante Jimenez.

The statement also didn't sit well with Duterte, who ordered Luna's firing on national television.

"Fire him," said the President while praising Robredo's campaign to help medical personnel at the forefront of the fight against the virus. "Tama yan maghingi ka ng tulong sa kapwa mo tao."

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Duterte said he also had nothing to do with the NBI probe into Sotto for alleged violation of the Bayanihan Heal As One Act over his call to allow tricycles to operate in his city despite a Luzon-wide transportation ban.

"Trabaho ng pulis 'yan," he said. "Wala na akong pakialam."

The President said he took charge of setting the policy for the enhanced community qurantine but left the implementation to the police and relevant agencies like the NBI.

"Isang beses lang ako nagsalita, nu'ng nag-proclaim ako ng emergency," Duterte said. "Wala akong pakialam sa operation ng NBI."

Source: Spin PH

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