IN another highly public expression of disgust, Philippine president Rodrigo Roa Duterte revealed that he nearly tendered his resignation after graft and corrupt practices continue unabated under his administration. Like his resigned stance over the West Philippine Sea, Duterte expressed exasperation fighting corruption in the bureaucracy. He cites the example over PhilHealth that he intends to abolish very soon.

” One cannot do anything to solve corruption,” paraphrasing the President when he revealed this fact during his early Monday morning taped press conference. Duterte admitted without a doubt that his administration is saddled with corruption. And coming from his mouth makes it entirely official.

And what are the concrete steps this administration has taken against graft and corruption? Simple— media manipulation and control. Palace media operators are hot on their heels coordinating and asking their networks of journalists to just play safe and refrain from reporting juicy and salacious news about corrupt acts being undertaken by most operators mostly members of the president’s own Davao Group– the group identified by most especially businessmen as the one behind numerous suspicious deals such as that of the highly controversial Manila Bay re-sanding project.

So, is this it? After promising a ton-heavy shit during the 2016 presidential elections, now Mr. Duterte is telling us that corruption is already endemic and no one, even him, can do something about it? So, what’s his value now?

Everyone in the know already knew that since last year, Mr. Duterte had not been at par as a president. He has not seriously and meticulously read voluminous documents that pends under his desk and even used so much as least 15% of his brain trying to solve the problems we so face as a nation. He has become a dead weight and woe to us because at this critical juncture in our history when we are being challenged by the world’s worst pandemic and the greatest economic disaster that this country has ever faced, we need a solid leader–one that can safely guide us out of choppy waters.

If Mr. Duterte wants his legacy clean and retains his value as a person at least, then, why not flex his muscles a little bit and do an Also Masa against these corrupt operators within the bureaucracy? Why not make a task force, a special one, that reports to him directly? Make these something like an anti-corruption sparrows that would go after these scumbags instead of wasting precious government monies going after political oppositionists?

These scumbags in the bureaucracy deserve nothing more than the fastest ticket to hell. If I am the President, I would surely use my billions of pesos worth of intelligence funds and finance such a team. Mark these scumbags as enemies of the state and they are really our contemporary versions of economic saboteurs.

Instead of acting like a cry baby (this trait is expected of this President who has exhibited cons tendencies since his teens and even during the time when he was in public office), Mr. Duterte should get his shit together and don’t waste his remaining days on this earth as a useless seventy five year old. Gather your wits, Mr. Duterte and accomplish what no one among your predecessors did—stand toe to toe with these billionaire carpet baggers who exploit your weakness, like how Wyatt Earp did in his time or how Eliott Ness did his job during the time when nefarious mob boss Al Capone reigned the US during and after prohibition.