• PRRD declares all positions for Presidential appointees vacant
• PRRD warns NBP personnel: Tell the truth or face charges

In an early morning press conference in Davao aired live over government television network PTV 4, the President said that the revocation is applicable nationwide.

“If you are there because of a presidential appointment, I will declare all your positions throughout the country vacant,” he said.

Duterte expressed disappointments over reports that corruption persists in most government posts especially in regulatory offices mentioning the Land Transportation and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) among them.

“Until now in my provincial visits, I still hear corruption being committed by people, especially in the regulatory agencies,” he added.

So as not to disrupt the operations, the President named the deputies as officer-in-charge, who automatically assume the vacated position until a new appointment is issued.

For the appointed officials of the LTFRB he said “come to me and see me in Malacanang.” For officials of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) he said, “consider your positions vacant at this hour.” Duterte’s two-hour press conference ended past 3 a.m.

The President however clarified that the pronouncement excludes the Cabinet positions.

“All of them. Lahat. It will number in thousands. Consider yourself in the crucible of the truth about corruption in this country……I hate it (corruption). I do not want to give the slightest hint of it in any human being…,” he said.

“I will give you a clean government,” he said expressing that he is serious on his move to rid the government of corruption. He also mentioned of the “laglag bala” referring to the bullet planting incidents at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) which were widely done in the past months.(LMG/ LTA/PND)

“Now I am now warning everybody connected with the Bureau of Prisons in Muntinlupa, all the guards there and the supervisors, because if you do not tell the truth before any committee or any governmental body, be it the Senate or the House of Representatives: Be prepared to be charged for what that (appears to be) a serious negligence of duty,” the President said during an early morning press conference in Davao City.
He said those who will not speak the truth will either be ousted or will be assigned to Basilan or Jolo.
“If you are not ready to tell the truth, I said be ready to be ousted. You are all invited in the meantime to go to Basilan and find your places there and in Jolo. You are going there, kayong lahat, I will be assigning you there,” he said as he mentioned that such will be done while waiting for the inquiry of the House of Representatives.
“I hope it is not that you were in conspiracy with the prisoners. You were there for almost — all the time that these things happened. Do you mean to say that you did not report it to your superiors? Or you allow these things to happen by yourself only [on] your authority and nobody else’s? Then be prepared to be investigated.”

Administrative charges for neglect of duty or a criminal case under Revised Penal Code including special laws will be filed against any personnel “for conspiring with these guys to precisely act the way they behaved there inside the prison. It could not have happened without your connivance. It could only mean conspiracy,” he added.
The President blamed the illegal drug activities inside the national penitentiary to Secretary Leila De Lima, who was then the Secretary of Justice during the past administration, who has the power to grant special privileges to the inmates.

This developed after the President went head on with Senator Leila de Lima following the mention of her name as the “lady” who is engaged in an illicit relationship with her married driver that doubles as the collector of money inside the national penitentiary.

The President said he even had to explain his side to his female relatives when why he had to mention of the Senator’s supposed illicit relationship with her driver. He said that his revelation has a direct connection to the drug deals that are taking place at the Bureau of Prisons in Muntinlupa.
“The crux of the matter is, if I do not talk about that relationship with De Lima to her driver, then there is no topic to talk about. Because what is really very crucial there is the fact that because of that relationship with her driver, which I termed “immoral” because the driver has a family and wife, gave rise — that connection gave rise to the corruption of what was happening inside the national penitentiary,” he said.

“Kaya nga nagkaroon ng special privileges,” he said. “Are you are not surprised that during her term and for a longer period, when she became the Secretary of Justice, there were special privileges granted to almost all inmates? There were guns there inside; there were parties being held almost every night; there was a combo, a musical group; liquors and alcoholic drinks flowed freely and women went inside and out of the prison, “ he added.
The President pointed out the necessity of mentioning the link between the driver and the Senator, who was then the Justice Secretary “but I have to mention your relationship because it was your driver who was in contact with the rest of the guys there inside the prison. And eventually Senator De Lima, it was your greed and your immorality that led you in. Hindi mo na maitago iyan. It’s all loose. I think it’s beyond your control already”

Duterte said the relationship is the link to the conduct of the illegal activity. “How would you now explain? How would I explain to the public the state of things that happened — the partying, drugs and even cooking shabu — that went well (inside the National Penitentiary) unbridled, unhampered because of the driver himself? Would you think that a driver of a — a Department of Justice employee — could by allow these things by all and himself?”

The President said were it not for that authority and knowledge of De Lima, the cellular phones and everything else, the guns, could not have happened, the effect of which has gone out on the streets.

“All of these could have only happened if there was the go-signal from the head of the department, which is the Secretary. [Bagnaan?] Is that his name? Yes, [Bagnaan?]. He was also one of the bagman……..And the Secretary all of these things happened under your nose and shabu was floating inside and it was being — and what was really painful and the reason why we knew and I know because they were trafficking shabu from the inside,” he said. (LMG/ LTA/ PND)