Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has fired Philippine Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno, his spokesman said yesterday, as infighting and corruption allegations rock his government.
Sueno, who supervised Duterte’s war on drugs that has left thousands dead, was fired on the spot at a Cabinet meeting late on Monday, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement.
“The summary dismissal served as a warning that Mr Duterte would not countenance any questionable or legally untenable decisions by any member of the Cabinet,” Abella added.
Photo: AFP
He did not say what the decisions were, but added that the sacking formed part of Duterte’s “drive for a trustworthy government by addressing issues like corruption.”
In a statement issued hours before his sacking on Monday, Sueno, 69, vigorously denied any involvement in corruption, blaming other Duterte followers for circulating such allegations against him.
“My advocacy against corruption has been strong. My belief is the same as President Duterte in fighting this, so this accusation against me is impossible,” said Sueno, a former provincial governor and city mayor.
Sueno said he was being bad-mouthed by three junior secretaries in his department, who were like him also appointed by Duterte.
Asked if Sueno might face further charges, Abella told reporters: “Let us wait for the president to take his subsequent actions.”
Sueno’s sacking comes a month after former Philippine secretary of foreign affairs Perfecto Yasay left his post following Congress’ ruling that he lied to them over his US citizenship.
Abella said the loss of another Cabinet member was not a sign of trouble, but proof that Duterte was serious about restoring trust in government.
He did not say who would replace Sueno, though there has been speculation Duterte would appoint former senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr, son of former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos.
Marcos Jr lost the Philippine vice presidential election last year, but is contesting the outcome at an election tribunal.
In Congress, two other close Duterte allies, House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Representative Antonio Floirendo, have been publicly feuding for weeks with Duterte trying to stay out of the quarrel.
Alvarez has accused Floirendo, a key contributor in the Duterte election campaign, of corruption, but Floirendo denies the charge.
Duterte won the election by a landslide in May last year, largely on his promise to launch a war on illegal drugs.
Although the campaign has proved popular at home, he has faced international criticism for thousands of killings that human rights advocates say were carried out as part of the initiative.
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