Opening Statement of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte during the Senate Hearing on Rice Smuggling. February 3, 2014 Whenever a request for my assistance is made by someone who I believe is motivated solely by the desire to advance the interests of the government and the people, never will I say no. For I consider it my duty and obligation as a government employee, to cooperate and work closely with the agencies of government within the limits of my capacity and authority and do what the situation calls for, conscious of the fact that at the end of the day, I and I alone, am responsible for the consequences of my deed. Someone once said, “I have no friends to serve, I have no enemies to harm”. That has always been my norm of conduct in my more than 20 years of public service and I intend to keep it that way. On December 17, 2013, I was informed that BIR Commissioner Kim Henares was asking for my help in addressing the problem of rice smuggling which she said bedevils the port operations in Davao City. You and I know the terrible effects that rice smuggling bears. It robs the government of precious income and impoverishes the Filipino farmer. It is economic sabotage at its worst. More than that, rice smuggling erodes the people’s trust and faith in government, particularly in its capacity to enforce the laws – an erosion that cuts deeply into the very foundation upon which government authority rests. Loss of trust and faith is an ailment which our government cannot afford-not at this time, not ever. Later on, I was able to talk to Commissioner Henares by telephone. I could sense exasperation and frustration in her voice. The following day, I met and conferred with the District Collector of the Bureau of Customs, Atty. Samson Pacasum to get the specifics of this rice smuggling in Davao City. Subsequently, upon my call and invitation, I met with Officials of the Philippine Port Authority, Philippine Coast Guard, Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Internal Revenue, National Bureau of Investigation, CIDG, Philippine Navy and other agencies, in a brainstorming conference to ferret out the “whos”, “whys”, “hows” and “whens” of rice smuggling in the city. On January 10, 2014, I met with local rice traders at Marco Polo, after which I was interviewed by Media. It was in that interview that I showed the picture of Mr. David Tan, the central figure in this mess. The trouble with us in government is that we talk too much, act too slow, and do too little. Let me ask, don’t we? I heard it said once that what this country needs, given the prevailing conditions, is not more laws but more good men in public service. Let me ask again, do we subscribe to that? Thank you and good morning.
Posted on: Tue, 07 Oct 2014 09:15:49 +0000
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