By Genalyn Kabiling
President Duterte hit the brakes on the planned termination of a government official pending a review of the agency’s legislative charter.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said he was ordered to defer from identifying the official who faced dismissal on Wednesday morning.
“As of 7 this morning, I read a text instructing me to hold in abeyance announcement of who it is that the President will sack next,” Roque said during a Palace news conference.
“When I inquired from PMS (Presidential Management Staff), what they said was they gave the President a copy of the legislative charter of the agency headed by the officer. And the President was reviewing that legislative charter of that agency,” he added.
When pressed by journalists if the official has been fired or not, Roque said: “Hanggang hindi po naaanunsyo, hindi pa siya nasisibak .”
Asked if the official faces complaints of corruption or conflict of interest, Roque explained that if a presidential appointee is sacked, it is because of the loss of the President’s trust and confidence.
“Presidential appointees serve at the pleasure of the President. The President does not even need to cite any good cause because that is a nature of a presidential appointment,” he said.
He said government officials must “serve the Republic, that they must lead modest lives that they must comply with the laws against graft and corruption.”
Prior to receiving a text message from the higher-up, Roque admitted that he was supposed to announce that “he was terminated.”
“Oops,” the lawyer quipped, realizing his slip about the official’s gender. “Kayo talaga ang galing niyo. Okay. But anyway, I didn’t say anything about identity,” he told reporters.
Roque said “a legal written document” was already being prepared but has been held in abeyance.
He also denied that the official was from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.