Duterte: I would not have survived 22 years if I were corrupt

President Rodrigo Duterte on Saturday said that he would not have survived his decades in public office if he were corrupt.

"Wala akong pinipili. I die with a bad reputation, fine...'wag lang yung corruption. Wala ako diyan. I could not have survived 22 years kung kayong taga-Davao alam ninyong magnanakaw ako," Duterte said during the installation of new officers and induction of new members of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines' (IBP) Davao City Chapter.

"In my office, Presidente, walang papel na negosyo. Lahat doon lang 'yan sa secretary, I only sign appointments. Walang contract na umaabot sa akin, ayaw ko. At wala akong ibang pinirmahan kundi sweldo ko lang, wala akong allowances miski piso. Nag-iwas ako, hindi ko na kailangan niyan," he added.

Duterte served as the mayor of Davao City for 22 years in total before he was elected as President.

He said that he will resign if the Office of the Ombudsman finds that his wealth goes beyond his estimate of "lifetime savings" of P40 million.

"I will resign...diyan sa Landbank, kung may abogado dito taga-Landbank, pakitingin nga yung sweldo ko. Hindi 'yan lumalabas sa opisina ninyo. Pagdating niyan sa sweldo namin, kayo lang rin ang nakikinabang," Duterte said.

"May kinukuha ako diyan minsan, nagbili ako ng bahay kasi naghiwalay nga kami. So sabi ko kay...maghanap tayo ng bahay na maliit lang. Kasi total, sabi ko dalawa, look for a two-room kasi total dalawa lang naman 'yan, kabit ko pati isang asawa ko. Dito ako sa gitna," he added.

Duterte had threatened to investigate the Office of the Ombudsman for alleged partiality and corruption after it started to probe his alleged multi-billion peso wealth of the President and his family after Senator Antonio Trillanes IV's complaint was found to have sufficient basis.

Carandang said that he had been authorized by Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales to act on the complaint of Trillanes and has already requested the Anti-Money Laundering Council for a final validation on the bank transaction records of the first family. — Marlly Rome C. Bondoc/BM, GMA News