President Rodrigo Duterte sought the cooperation of Congress on the officials and employees of the Bureau of Customs which he cannot dismiss due to security of tenure.

In his State of the Nation Address on Monday, Duterte said he went to the Bureau of Customs two weeks ago and found out here were about 63 officials and employees facing criminal charges and 61 of them are under investigation.

“I hope that I can have the cooperation of Congress. If we cannot abolish their position and if I cannot dismiss them for the reason that there is a security of tenure, I will just allow them to have their plantilla positions but they have to report to Congress everyday to help me in the huge paperwork that we have to do everyday,” he said.

“All of them will go out from the premises of the Customs area. I do not want them back,” he added.

Last week, Duterte met with some customs officials and employees in the Palace where he asked them to submit their resignation or face administrative charges for alleged corruption activities.

Duterte reiterated to them that there is no place for corruption under his administration.

Duterte, in his speech, said he have fired or caused the resignation of more than a 100 officials and appointees of government without regard to relationship, friendship and alliance.

“There is no sacred cow as the saying goes in my administration,” he said. Ella Dionisio/DMS