Duterte to corrupt gov’t officials: Your resignation won’t save your neck

October 27, 2020

President Rodrigo Duterte said officials who were allowed to resign in government, including those in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp., amid corruption allegations are not off the hook.

Duterte, in a taped message aired on Tuesday morning, said he would focus in the fight against corruption in the remaining years of his administration.

"I will concentrate the last remaining years of my term fighting corruption because up to now, it's not weakening. It's even going strong," he said, adding this gave an impression that government officials are useless "with the onslaught of corruption.'

But Duterte expressed belief that he could still do something to fight corruption.

"May be not to eradicate corruption in its totality. But I think, we, the Cabinet members, they're here listening, our own, not small, but in our dedication, you would come up with a very strong stand against corruption," Duterte said.

"Let me remind everybody in this government that your resignation will not save your neck. You know why? You are not allowed to resign if there is pending case against you. Even if you resign and you don't report, but then you would be summoned or subpoenaed because you are already out of government but because for all intents and purposes, you are still a part of government. You are not allowed to resign to escape liability," he said.

Citing PhilHealth, he said many have resigned amid the investigation being conducted by a task force led by the Department of Justice.

"But if you think that it will save you from criminal prosecution or administrative because you are still considered an employee, that resignation will not help you at all. Let us be clear on that," Duterte said.

New PhilHealth president and CEO Dante Gierran has asked officials from the agency to submit their courtesy resignation as part of reorganizing and cleansing the state health insurer, which was rocked by massive corruption allegations. Over 40 officials in the central and regional offices have quit from their respective posts.

Contrary to his earlier plan, Duterte said he would not abolish PhilHealth.

"I won't abolish it. It's not easy to create another one," he said.

Earlier, the President said he would ask Congress to abolish PhilHealth following allegations that some P15-billion funds went to corruption. Celerina Monte/DMS