President Rodrigo Duterte's relatives are not authorized to transact with any government agency for their financial interest.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, in a press briefing on Wednesday, said Duterte wants to reiterate this directive to all government agencies.

"The president is renewing his call that any and all of his relatives are not authorized, okay, to approach anyone in government in connection with any government-related transaction, full stop. That applies to his children, his siblings, his cousins, his uncles and aunts. No one in his family is authorized by him to have any financial interest in any government office, agency, or department," he said.

Last year, Duterte's son, Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, and son-in-law, lawyer Maneses Carpio, husband of Davao City Mayor Sarah Duterte, were dragged into alleged smuggling and corruption issue at the Bureau of Customs, particularly when the Senate conducted an investigation on the P6.4-billion worth of smuggled illegal drugs from China.

The younger Duterte and Carpio denied the allegations.

In 2017, Carpio was also tapped by Mighty Corporation, which faced several complaints for use of counterfeit tax stamps before the Department of Justice, as one of its legal counsels. Mighty entered a settlement deal with the government for its tax deficiencies for P25 billion.

Asked how Duterte's directive affects Carpio, Roque expressed belief that the presidential son-in-law would perform his duties pursuant to the rules of legal ethics.

"But it’s very clear in the rules of legal ethics that one should not take advantage also of any position in the discharge of functions of a lawyer. And the President trusts that Atty. Carpio is familiar with these canons of legal ethics," he said. Celerina Monte/DMS