President Rodrigo Duterte, in his speech during the Asia-Pacific Healthy Islands Conference 2018 Wednesday in Marco Polo Davao, said he fired three cabinet secretaries and 16 undersecretaries.
The President said that the officials were fired on the grounds of excessive international travels for climate change forums.
He also added that the government can’t afford the expenses incurred during the travels of the officials.
The President even mentioned “every department sends somebody who doesn’t even know the definition of the climate.”
The current administration has been consistent in its initiative to unseat government officials who are allegedly corrupt or not abusive in power.
In the recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) mentioned that it pains him to end friendships with official he fires.
“Most of them are my friends who were with me when I was campaigning. It pains me deeply to end this,” President Duterte said in his speech.
Climate Change Commissioner Emmanuel M. de Guzman, in a press conference, said they are looking for ways to screen the international travels of officials relating to climate change.
“I will not allow everybody to go out, we need only one mouth. We can only afford to send one,” said the President.
