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Duterte wanted to fire Sueno last month, says Sotto
President Rodrigo Duterte had been considering removing dismissed Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno from the Cabinet since last month, Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said Thursday.
Sotto said he “overheard” Duterte say this during the two-day visit to Myanmar last March 19 to 20. Sotto was part of the delegation.
“I knew that the DILG secretary was going because I overheard it from the President himself during our trip but I did not tell anyone,” Sotto said.
“There are information that reached him that we do not know. The bottomline lang is, he has lost trust,” he added.
Sueno’s dismissal from his post was announced during a Cabinet meeting Monday night, with Malacañang thereafter citing “loss of trust and confidence” behind Duterte’s decision.
Sotto said Duterte’s decision to fire Sueno may have been delayed because the President validated the reports that reached him.
“Ang tingin ko, vinalidate pa niya kaya nasasabi lang niya na ‘pag ako, I smell a whiff [of corruption,’ sabi lang niya yun pero vina-validate niya yan, I’m sure. Two weeks ago yung biyahe namin, I overheard him already,” he said.
Sotto said Duterte made it clear during their Myanmar trip that “he will no have second thoughts dismissing” corrupt public officials.
In a speech on Tuesday, President Rodrigo Duterte said he was forced to sack a Cabinet secretary who claimed ignorance over the alleged irregularities going on at his department.
Duterte did name the Cabinet official but the remarks came after Sueno was fired over an allegedly anomalous firetrucks deal.
The allegations were contained in a confidential memorandum sent to Duterte reportedly by the MRRD-NECC or the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte - National Executive Coordinating Committee, a national volunteer organization that helped the former Davao City mayor get elected as president.
Sueno believes the letter was initiated by his three undersecretaries – John Castriciones, Jesus Hinlo, and Emily Padilla – who were allegedly piqued because of their clipped powers under the new delegation of authority, which he issued last week.
Sueno bid his department goodbye on Thursday morning, saying he was a “victim of intrigue.” — RSJ, GMA News
