DAVAO CITY (May 28) — President Rodrigo Duterte has fired Government Corporate Counsel Rudolf Philip Jurado, for allegedly favoring the gambling franchise to the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport (Apeco).
Duterte was talking about the newly signed Ease of Doing Business Act of 2018 — a law that addresses the failure of the Anti-Red Tape Act of [2007], in Malacañang, Monday afternoon, May 28, 2018, when he announced he was firing Jurado.
Here is the full text of the President’s speech about the newly signed law and Jurado:
“The law will also limit to a maximum of three the number of signatories for applications [for] licenses, clearances, permits, certifications and authorizations. Electronic signatures will also be recognized [and] a zero-contact policy will be implemented to avoid improprieties.
Alam mo this kind of line has been repeated a thousand times in this floor. Every president that I can remember was always talking of red tape, graft and corruption and everything. Lahat, with no exception.
Whether it was a perceptive thing or just an objective — always it has been bruited about — hanggang dumating na lang sa akin. And corruption is still there.
I remember vividly during my time, Cabinet members were ordered to process papers online. And I said that you are limited to 30 days pati ‘yung mga directors 15 days.
And in spite or despite of that warning, there seems to be an inadequate or a haphazard implementation of those suggested procedures.
I am not attributing any of the Cabinet members there. It could be a failure in the lower echelons of government. Pero ito bang graft and corruption is a favorite parang chewing gum that… You know it’s being used everyday to wash off the dirt and spit it out when its — the taste runs out.
And it is periodically and seasonably done all throughout the years na nandito tayo sa opisina. Me, I have fired several and I’ve been fi…
May I call the Government Corporate Counsel now. Are you in this…? Nandito ka? Kasi kung nandito ka lumabas ka, p***** i** mo. You are fired.
I do not need you and maybe you do not need me. Alam mo ‘yung APECO was granted a franchise, freeport and everything, and there’s always that accompanying provision about gambling.
Wala akong magawa eh. I don’t like it. I had a very bad experience about gambling when I was young.
I’ve been discouraging people about the gambling is tolerated as if we were just… Pati itong mga perya-peryaan. Kasali na ang mga barangay captains diyan and mayors especially.
You run your town or municipality as if you are really the chosen one and not the elected worker of government. Iyon ang mahirap dito sa gobyerno na ‘to eh.
When you are granted a franchise to conduct gambling in a certain facility, it does not include farming out that franchise to other cities and provinces.
Kasi pagka ganun then you can ramble on, following your theory, you can ramble on to give permits beyond the shores of Luzon and you can do it in Siasi, Jolo.
Kung hindi ka pa naman g***. So you are just like a PAGCOR operating an independent entity with the same powers na you grant everything. Kung hindi ka t********, p**…
So ganun ang gobyerno eh. And I have been trying to be patient with everybody. But there are always that opportunity to interpret a law or insist in your stupid proposition until the problem gets out of hand.
So marami na ako… Everyday I have been firing an undersecretary, a secretary, now I am firing the Government Corporate Counsel himself.
Alam mo sa totoo lang maraming abogado diyan naghihintay sa labas. There are thousands of lawyers there waiting for an appropriate opportunity to work in government.
Hindi na ako kailangan magtanong. All I have to do is just look around.
Marami Pilipino na gustong trabaho diyan. Hindi ko na kailangan itong mga l*****…
I am sorry ha. I do not — you are not the one — hindi kayo. I ask for an apology. But this is just a palabas ko lang sama ko ng loob. Because now we are talking about graft and corruption, we are talking about red tape and everything and yet it continues to…” he added.
ALSO READ: (/duterte-fires-dotr-asec-for-dealing-with-his-sister/)
A week ago, Duterte also fired two officials for allegedly committing corrupt practices.-Editha Z. Caduaya/Newsline.ph
