Duterte walks out of Cabinet meeting over gov’t red tape

February 7, 2019

President Rodrigo Duterte said on Thursday he walked out from the Cabinet meeting after learning of the red tape in government, particularly over some applications which have been pending at the National Economic and Development Authority for 25 years.

Duterte said he left the room and allowed Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to continue presiding over the meeting on Wednesday night in Malacañang.

"I will just like to share an experience with you last night with this Cabinet meeting and spent until morning time. Though no fault of anybody, I discovered very late that there are some applications which have been pending in NEDA for 25 years," he said in a speech during the oath taking of some newly-appointed government officials.

He also cited the long process in the conversion of land.

"In the conversion, it took them about two years? And two years that includes verily, corruption. The person has been going back and forth (to process the papers)," he said.

Duterte said  "red tape or black tape" has been causing suffering not only to the persons involved but to the government.

"And there’s no end to it, the bleeding of the pocket of the guy and the… Not only the reputation but government suffers for it also," he added.

"This is not really something to dwell lengthily but the system itself is designed to experience a failed government," Duterte said.

In an earlier press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said Duterte had an "outburst" during the Cabinet meeting and had to go out of the room. Celerina Monte/DMS