Duterte hits Leni on gifts: Pag ikaw Presidente, paktay na

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday chided Vice President Leni Robredo for criticizing his remarks on law enforcers accepting gifts from kind or thankful individuals.

Robredo said accepting gifts in the course of government officials' duties was against Republic Act 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Government Officials and Employees.

Duterte said Section 14 of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act provided that “unsolicited gifts or presents of small or insignificant value offered or given as a mere ordinary token of gratitude or friendship according to local customs or usage, will be excepted from the provisions of this Act.”

“There is an exception. Ang sabi ko, nominal…’yung out of gratitude. Hindi naman basta basta. Itong si Leni, illegal, unconstitutional raw. You do not even read the book. It is a major policy,” Duterte said.

“Ang sinasabi ko, do not demand. Kung ibigay after ng trabaho, tanggapin mo. Kung ano ‘yung nominal, sa judge na [ang desisyon na] ‘yun. Kung bigyan ka ng Mercedes Benz, putangina, hindi na ‘yun,” he added.

Senator Panfilo Lacson also criticized the President for his comments on law enforcers receiving gifts but was spared from Duterte's choice words.

"Senator Lacson, I can forgive him because he is not a lawyer. But Leni? Pag ikaw ang naging Presidente, paktay na," Duterte said.

In criticizing the President, Robredo cited  Section 7 of Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees which states that “public officials and employees should not solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan or anything of monetary value from any person in the course of their official duties or in connection with any operation being regulated by, or any transaction which may be affected by the functions of their office.”

“The law says you can’t accept because this is where corruption starts,” Robredo said then. —NB, GMA News