Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is urging lawmakers to bring back the death penalty for drug crimes and plunder. Despite his relentless campaign against drugs, the President admits illegal drugs and corruption remains prevalent in his country.
"I am aware that we still have a long way to go in our fight against this social menace. The drugs will not be crushed unless we continue to eliminate corruption that allows this social monster to survive," President Rodrigo Duterte said in his fourth State of the Nation Address on Monday.
"I respectfully request Congress to reinstate the death penalty for heinous crimes related to drugs, as well as plunder," he added.
The President also raised the issue on the massive fraud against the public health insurance system wherein huge amounts of medical funds were released to cover padded medical claims and imaginary treatment of ghost patients.
"The recent uncovering of the massive fraud perpetrated against the public health insurance system proves that corruption is pervasive. "
"I have fired or caused the resignation of more than a hundred officials and appointees of government without regard to relationship, friendship, and alliance. There is no sacred cow in my Administration."
Not ready for orphans and widows
President Duterte reiterates that he is not ready to go to war with China in terms of pushing the country's sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea. Instead, his administration will continue to have a dialogue with China.
"I am not ready or inclined to accept the occurrence of more destruction, more widows and more orphans, should war, even on a limited scale, breaks out," he said.
Fishing deal with China
While the President asserts its sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea, he is also giving China fishing rights in the area.
"I was invoking 'yung traditional fishing rights. It is in that arbitral ruling. It is mentioned there that even before countries were in existence, people around an ocean or a lake had already been fishing there for generations. And that is why fishing rights are allowed."
In his speech, the President mentioned the collision incident between Filipino and Chinese vessels near Recto bank, which increased tensions between the two countries.
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Fighting corruption
The President also addressed the need for government agencies to improve their services. He specifically named five agencies - LTO, SSS, BIR, LRA, and PAG-IBIG, that are notorious for inefficient service and corruption.
"I’ve been asking that from you since three years ago. ‘Pag hindi pa ninyo nagawa ‘yan ngayon, papatayin ko talaga kayo."
