Duterte says hundreds fired for graft

President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Monday night said hundreds of state officials had been fired under his anti-corruption drive.

“I’ll do nothing except to go after people who are into graft and corruption,” he said at a televised meeting with Cabinet officials.

Mr. Duterte vowed to strengthen efforts to eradicate state corruption, which is one of his priorities before his term ends in 2022.

Mr. Duterte has been naming erring government officials of the Executive branch during the national telecast of his weekly speeches since last month.

Among those he named on Monday were Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) employees accused of pocketing tax collections.

Mr. Duterte in the past named officials from the Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Immigration and Department of Public Works and Highways for alleged corruption. — Gillian M. Cortez