DAVAO CITY, Philippines — For spending government money in various trips abroad, President Rodrigo Duterte fired Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) administrator Marcial Quirico Amaro III.
Records obtained by Malacañang showed, Amaro went abroad 18 times in 2017 while another six trips in 2016.
The President decided to “terminate the services” of Amaro for excessive foreign trips, says Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in a press briefing at Presidential Guest House here Thursday January 4.
Chief Marine Engineer Amaro was awarded “Most outstanding seafarer of the Year” in 2003.
Earlier on, employees of MARINA filed a complaint against Amaro before the Office of the President describing him as “Absentee administrator” referring to his frequent foreign trips at the expense of his official functions in the agency.
Roque emphasized “The point of the President is we have to be selective in the trips we have to undertake. Definitely, 24 trips is excessive.”
Of the 24 trips Amaro made, one was not an official trip while 3 were sponsored by another body. Thus, of these travels, 21 were paid for using government funds.
In almost all of his foreign trips, Amaro spent government money in forms of “honorarium.”
Presidential Decree No 474, which created MARINA, states that the President “may remove the Administrator or Deputy Administrators from office for cause upon recommendation of the Board.”
According to Roque, DUterte wanted to announce the termination of Amaro during the New year but he reportedly asked the President to postpone the announcement to January 3 so the official could enjoy their New Year holiday.
https://newsline.ph/top-stories/2018/01/02/duterte-fires-10-top-officials-in-2017/
Amaro is the first top official in the Duterte administration fired in 2018 last year he fired 10 top officials.-Editha Z. Caduaya/Newsline.ph
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