Pending gov’t contracts should be settled – Duterte

President Rodrigo Duterte issued a warning to all government agencies and offices to complete and finish all pending transactions on December and stressed that military officials and government employees who are sluggish with their work should see their way out of their posts.

In his speech during the 80th anniversary of the Department of National Defense, Duterte noted that he has given government offices and even Cabinet members to decide on the pending transactions by 15 December.

“Even the Cabinet members, they have one month to decide. I must have your decision (on) the papers before you. And I said last night, it has to be Dec. 15,” said Duterte. “It’s been so many months now. Papers that are on your table must be out with a decision. If it’s for approval, good; if it is for denial, fine. But let it out.”

“If you think that you are not up to the mandate of being hurried up, and then you go out and tell your commander to replace you. In the Civil Service, it’s more . . . Even the directors, I saw some contracts there,” the President added.

Duterte also stressed that sitting on papers and transactions are still a source of corruption.

“The longer you sit on the paper or nothing at all — either you are not working, you are a… I don’t know what you’d do with government,” said Duterte.