The President has mentioned time and again that he will not tolerate even a whiff of corruption.

President Duterte decided not to renew the term of office of SSS Commissioner Jose Gabriel La Viña, who is serving in a holdover capacity, based on the following grounds:

First, former Comissioner La Viña demanded a budget of P26M to fund his “social media” project with him as TV host. This was denied. He then requested for a budget of P1.6M per month for a media advertising program which was also denied.

Second, Mr. La Viña requested for the accreditation of 7 brokers to handle SSS investments. The accreditation was denied because these brokers could not meet the requirements.

Third, Mr. La Viña embarked on a vilification campaign against 4 SSS executives who crossed his path. Two of the 4 executives resigned and one is now a consultant of the Secretary of Finance.

Fourth, despite an ongoing investigation, Mr. La Viña called a press conference and spoke against these 4 executives.

Again, let this be a reminder to all public officials that the President is serious in curbing corruption and has strong resolve to promote good governance.