MANILA - President Rodrigo Duterte is aware but has not yet acted on the complaint against the administrator of the Maritime Industry Authority, who is accused of going on foreign trips monthly, his spokesman said Friday.

The Alliance of Marina Employees said Marcial Quirico Amaro III, was an “absentee administrator” and his trips have affected his work and demoralized employees.

“Wala pa po (Not yet) but I confirm he knows about it,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque told ABS-CBN News in a text message when asked whether the President has ordered an investigation into the complaint against the Marina chief.

Amaro traveled abroad at least 11 times in a span of one year, according to the employees' group.

The Marina chief defended his trips, saying these would benefit Filipino seafarers.

“That would be a productive trip in a sense na kung hindi tayo nakikipag-discuss, nakikipag-argue sa mga organizations who create international regulations, ang magsa-suffer ho ay ang bansa natin,” Amaro told ABS-CBN News.

(That would be a productive trip in the sense that if we don't discuss and argue with organizations that create international regulations, our country will suffer.)

The employees' group also claimed that Amaro had bragged about his supposed ties with Davao-based businessman Dennis Uy, one of the biggest donors to Duterte’s presidential campaign.

The complaint came as the President told government officials to limit their trips abroad.

The President recently sacked Dangerous Drugs Board chief Dionisio Santiago and Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor chief Terry Ridon over allegations that they made unnecessary foreign trips.