President Rodrigo Duterte fired former Dangerous Drugs Board chairman Dionisio Santiago not only for his negative statement regarding the huge drug rehabilitation center in Nueva Ecija, but for allegedly his junkets abroad and receiving a house from a late narco-politician.

In a press briefing on Monday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said Duterte received complaints late last month from the DDB workers' union against Santiago for allegedly "using taxpayers' money for junkets abroad."

"One of the complaints that reached the President was a trip to Austria, where in addition to bringing family members, General Santiago brought six of his closest personnel including a girl Friday. There were also complaints that General Santiago may have accepted consideration from major drug players," he said, bringing with him the letter complaint signed by certain Priscilla Herrera.

He said the complaints specified that Santiago "may have benefitted from a house which may have been given to him by the late Parojinog."

He was referring to late Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog, who was killed along with six others, in a series of anti-drug raids conducted by police authorities in Ozamiz City in early August.

Santiago allegedly received the house when he was the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency chief during the Arroyo administration.

Santiago also allegedly went to the United States in October and "bringing with him his mistress and selective DDB employees," said the complaint-letter.

"It’s a very strong message to the bureaucracy, the President will not tolerate junkets, unnecessary travels abroad," Roque said.

Last Saturday, Duterte warned government employees from travelling abroad using state funds.

Early this month, Duterte fired Santiago after the latter said that the construction of the10,000-bed capacity mega rehabilitation drug center inside a military camp in Nueva Ecija was a waste of money.

But Roque said the government did not spend a single centavo for the over P1 billion drug rehabilitation center because it was a Chinese philantrophist who funded the project. Celerina Monte/DMS