'Ako bahala. Totoo'

MANILA – Government agencies should be wary of the lines forming in their transaction windows.

Speaking during his visit to Camp Siongco in Maguindanao, President Rodrigo Duterte warned bureaucrats against red tape in government transactions.

"Ayaw ko na ang magpila…kung ikaw pinlinya, pinabalik limang beses, barilin mo. Ako bahala. Totoo," the commander-in-chief said, lamenting long lines in agencies such as the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) and the delays that Filipinos face with when dealing with government.

It is a real need for government processes to be streamlined, he said, as even the soldiers’ widows have a difficult time getting the benefits owed the family of a public servant killed in the line of duty.

The current systems in place are "stupid and idiotic," Duterte said, as people spend too much money and time following up transactions in government offices.

PHILANDERING HUSBANDS

Aside from criticizing red tape, Duterte also railed against the trouble that philandering husbands cause when their widows claim benefits upon their death.

"Ilang beses na iyan, pag namatay, dalawa ang claimant. There has to be a mechanism [against this]," he said.

After all, he said, it is not the dead spouse nor their partner who are affected, but their children.

"Di ako naaawa sa babae. Ang babae, pareho lang sa lalaki. Iyong bata, ang pamilya…I pity the human being," he said.