Duterte admits corruption can't be curbed overnight but says he made progress

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday said anomalies in the government cannot be completely removed overnight but maintained that his administration made progress in curbing corruption.

In a taped PDP-Laban meeting, Duterte, speaking to his party-mates, reiterated his frustration against Senator Manny Pacquiao for saying that corruption worsened under Duterte.

"'Yung inaatake ka tapos with the statement of Pacquiao that triple and double ang corruption, uminit ang ulo ko. You know I've been trying really my very best to curb corruption," he said.

(You have these people making attacks and then here's Pacquiao's statement that corruption has tripled, doubled. I am furious.)

"Hindi ko naalis yan overnight (I couldn't remove corruption overnight) but I have made little progress in dismissing, terminating individuals. I cannot abolish offices," he further said.

Duterte cited that under his administration, he was able to dismiss officials in the Bureau of Customs over corruption claims. He also mentioned the relieved government personnel at the Bureau of Immigration in connection with the pastillas scheme.

He also reiterated his frustration with the so-called "laglag bala scam."

"The very thing that pissed me off was Filipinos being framed up by laglag bala sa airport (at the airport)," he said.

Over the weekend, Pacquiao, acting president of PDP-Laban, said some government agencies had irregularities in procurement of COVID-19 medical supplies and financial aid distribution.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said the senator's allegations were not backed by evidence. —KBK, GMA News