Duterte: I need time to end corruption

MANILA – President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday appealed for more patience in ending corruption in government, saying the problem was bigger than what he expected.

“Ako ay tumakbo na president. I made no great promises. I said I want to stop corruption,” Duterte said in a speech at an event in Pasay City.

“I need time to remove corruption.”

Duterte said many government officials rely on anomalous activities to survive, acknowledging that their salaries are too low.

“Karamihan dyan sa gobyerno, iyung salaries are just the stipend, a side income. But corruption is the main source of income. I have to lecture to everybody that you know, during this time, maybe for five years, and a few months, you have to change your lifestyle,” he said.

Duterte won on a platform of ending corruption in government and solving the country’s drug problem.

He recently fired over 90 government employees or officials due to alleged corruption. He, however, refused to name these people to spare their families from embarrassment.

“I didn’t make it public,” he said. “When I read the dossier, some of them, their sons and daughters were all doctors and lawyers.”