President Rodrigo Duterte challenged Sen. Manny Pacquiao on Monday to name corrupt government agencies or else he would tell the people not to vote for him in the 2022 national elections.
“Pacquiao keeps on talking about how we [the current administration] is three times more corrupt [the previous administration],” Duterte said, speaking partly in Filipino, during his taped weekly Palace briefing on the COVID-19 situation.
“So I am challenging him: Point those offices that are corrupt. And let me take care of it. Within one week, I will do something,” he went on. “You have said nothing all these years, but you were all praises for me. Then now you say [we’re] corrupt. Where’s the corruption? Which offices?”
Duterte admitted the Department of Public Works and Highways had gained “notoriety” for corruption, but he said he saw no longer saw other corrupt agencies.
“If you fail to do that, I will campaign against you because you are not doing your duty. Do it because, if not, I will just tell the people: Do not vote for Pacquiao because he is a liar,” Duterte said.
“I am not questioning your ability, intellectually or what,” he went on. “But if you can’t do that, I will be after you every day. I will expose you as a liar. I put you on notice: I will tell all [.about you] and I will go against you during the election period. If you don’t do that, you’ll just be another son of a bitch playing some politics.”
The president noted that every administration would always have a “share of the problem of corruption.”
“Do not ever think that if you will win as president, corruption will disappear here in the Pilipinas,” Duterte told Pacquiao, who is the acting president of their party, the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan.
This was not the first time Duterte chided Pacquiao. Previously, he told Pacquiao to “study first” after the latter criticized his stance on the West Philippine Sea issue.
![READ: Duterte’s weekly public service program starts July 11 on PTV-4 The weekly public service program, called “Digong 8888 Hotline,” will make its debut on state-owned People’s Television channel 4 (PTV-4) on July 11, Thursday, at 2 p.m. President Duterte, who has often encouraged the public to report any corruption complaint through 8888 hotline, is expected to appear in some special episodes to personally respond to public concerns. “Kung kayo’y inabuso, kung kayo’y pinagsamantalahan, kung may hindi kayo nagustuhan sa gobyerno, tumawag kayo, day and night at ‘yung mga importanteng problema na nakikita ko, aksyunan ko kaagad [If you are abused, if you are taken advantage of, if there is something you don’t like in government, just call day and night and I will prompt address the important problems],” the President said. The new one-hour TV program, mounted to focus on the work of the Citizens’ Complaint Hotline 8888 and the Presidential Complaint Center (PCC), will be hosted by Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, Assistant Secretary Kris Roman of the Office of the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and PTV news anchor Trixie Jaafar. “This one-hour program aims to bridge the gap between government agencies and the people through segments that will directly address the ordinary Filipino’s concerns on various government services,” Panelo said. “No less than the Chief Executive himself established this undertaking after he issued Executive Order No. 6 in 2016. The said executive order paved the way to the realization of the Digong 8888 Hotline as the Citizens’ Complaint Center. This currently addresses grievances which deals with government bureaucracy, such as red tape, corruption and complexities of government processes,” he added. The new television program will feature case studies taken from the PCC and 8888 files as well as highlight a government agency per week about its daily work. Radio-TV Malacañang (RTVM) is likewise expected to produce a regular segment titled “The Week That Was” showing the President’s activities for the week. In 2016, the government launched the 24-hour 8888 citizens’ complaint hotline to accept grievances and other concerns about any red tape, corruption and other abuses involving government agencies. Under Executive Order No. 6 signed by the President, the 8888 Citizens’ Complaint Center was also established under the direction and supervision of the Civil Service Commission. It is mandated to deliver concrete and specific action to a citizen’s concern within 72 hours from receipt of the complaint. The Presidential Complaint Center, on the other hand, is considered the frontline desk of the Office of the President that serves as a liaison unit to state agencies on requests for assistance, information and grievances. The center, located at the Bahay Ugnayan in Malacañang, entertains public concerns through calls, letters, emails, and visits.](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTTpwfw_TH_UcQk3DaSMQUbD8KIfqYPZNEMF9nu9auYaPPwUQWOTHkL6X7w1QFsp6vHHWLKRlA5nIK-_engT_Gmh0GFI4cfvBWFID3-Gds5acf6pYNdWDDffAah6QgBzMnm_mVErOGWbuf/s1600/Untitled-1-15.jpg "READ: Duterte’s weekly public service program starts July 11 on PTV-4 The weekly public service program, called “Digong 8888 Hotline,” will make its debut on state-owned People’s Television channel 4 (PTV-4) on July 11, Thursday, at 2 p.m. President Duterte, who has often encouraged the public to report any corruption complaint through 8888 hotline, is expected to appear in some special episodes to personally respond to public concerns. “Kung kayo’y inabuso, kung kayo’y pinagsamantalahan, kung may hindi kayo nagustuhan sa gobyerno, tumawag kayo, day and night at ‘yung mga importanteng problema na nakikita ko, aksyunan ko kaagad [If you are abused, if you are taken advantage of, if there is something you don’t like in government, just call day and night and I will prompt address the important problems],” the President said. The new one-hour TV program, mounted to focus on the work of the Citizens’ Complaint Hotline 8888 and the Presidential Complaint Center (PCC), will be hosted by Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, Assistant Secretary Kris Roman of the Office of the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel and PTV news anchor Trixie Jaafar. “This one-hour program aims to bridge the gap between government agencies and the people through segments that will directly address the ordinary Filipino’s concerns on various government services,” Panelo said. “No less than the Chief Executive himself established this undertaking after he issued Executive Order No. 6 in 2016. The said executive order paved the way to the realization of the Digong 8888 Hotline as the Citizens’ Complaint Center. This currently addresses grievances which deals with government bureaucracy, such as red tape, corruption and complexities of government processes,” he added. The new television program will feature case studies taken from the PCC and 8888 files as well as highlight a government agency per week about its daily work. Radio-TV Malacañang (RTVM) is likewise expected to produce a regular segment titled “The Week That Was” showing the President’s activities for the week. In 2016, the government launched the 24-hour 8888 citizens’ complaint hotline to accept grievances and other concerns about any red tape, corruption and other abuses involving government agencies. Under Executive Order No. 6 signed by the President, the 8888 Citizens’ Complaint Center was also established under the direction and supervision of the Civil Service Commission. It is mandated to deliver concrete and specific action to a citizen’s concern within 72 hours from receipt of the complaint. The Presidential Complaint Center, on the other hand, is considered the frontline desk of the Office of the President that serves as a liaison unit to state agencies on requests for assistance, information and grievances. The center, located at the Bahay Ugnayan in Malacañang, entertains public concerns through calls, letters, emails, and visits.")