During an anti-corruption summit in Pasay City yesterday, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte said he would quit the presidency once the Constitution is amended to fight against corruption.
“We craft a new constitution…I too will join, I will place my input there…It’s a dream but after that, and when it is really a Constitution that would suit our way of life and correct the evil things there, I will tender my resignation,” Duterte said. “That is my deal with the opposition.”
In his speech, Duterte criticized the Constitution for allowing corruption to proliferate in the government.
The current Constitution was ratified in 1987 after dictator Ferdinand Marcos was overthrown, effectively bringing back democracy to the country. It was created by the Constitutional Commission convened by then President Corazon Aquino.
“Corruption is a very virulent thing that’s almost hard to stop because our Constitution was really crafted to allow accountability to escape most of the time,” Duterte said.
As an example of how the Constitution allows corruption, Duterte criticized the Office of the Ombudsman for not having proper checks and balances. He also mentioned the bidding process for government projects that are prone to rigging and provide kickbacks for concerned parties.
Duterte assured that the charter change is not a way for him to change the length of a president’s term of service. “It is not intended to give me dictatorial powers. Constrict it if you want,” he said.
Past presidents like Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and Fidel V. Ramos, who proposed to change the country’s form of government and amend the constitution, were met with protest because people feared they would use it to extend their term.
One of Duterte’s campaign promises was to turn the Philippines into a federal government. He said this would ensure that other parts of the Philippines can be developed, unlike the present situation where development is concentrated in Metro Manila.
Duterte has promised to quit the presidency multiple times in the past. During his campaign, he said he would step down if he is not able to get rid of illegal drugs and crime in his first three to six months in office.
He repeated this promise last week and said he would quit if the military points out that he is not doing his job.
“That’s what I told the soldiers if I cannot do the job, why waste your time? I quit,” he said. “You wait until the third year. If you can’t see any good in my work, you can have it.”
