Duterte orders two assistant secretaries to resign over alleged corruption, abuse of power

President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered two assistant secretaries to resign or run the risk of being terminated over allegations of corruption and abuse of power, Malacañang said on Tuesday.

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte addressed the order to Assistant Secretary Moslemen Macarambon Sr. of the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Assistant Secretary Tingagun Ampaso Umpa of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Roque said an investigation by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) found that Macarambon has “regularly been intervening on behalf of smugglers of gold and other precious jewelry” at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.

The DPWH, meanwhile, had gathered sworn statements accusing Umpa of asking for kickbacks from contractors for projects in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Roque also said the PACC is looking into around 400 complaints against other government officials.

Previously, the President fired high-ranking officials and heads of offices accused of engaging in corruption and making excessive travels.

Duterte has removed Interior Secretary Ismael “Mike” Sueno, Terry Ridon as chairman of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, Peter Tiu Laviña as administrator of the National Irrigation Authority, Dionisio Santiago as chair of the Dangerous Drugs Board, and Marcial Amaro III as Maritime Industry Authority Administrator.

Last week, Duterte said he recently sacked another official and was about to fire another one.

Former Tourism secretary Wanda Teo and former Justice secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II have recently resigned from their posts.

Teo's resignation came after the Commission on Audit flagged the state network PTV-4's P60-million ad payments to Bitag Media, owned by her brother, Ben Tulfo.

Aguirre, meanwhile, resigned weeks after Malacañang said Duterte was disappointed with the Department of Justice's dismissal of drug complaints against self-confessed drug dealer Kerwin Espinosa, alleged drug lord Peter Lim and several others. —KG/ALG, GMA News