Duterte days before stepping down: Corruption cannot be stopped

President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday said that corruption in government cannot be stopped.

Duterte made the statement three days before his term ends on June 30 .

"Corruption is endemic. It cannot be stopped but it can be minimized," Duterte said in a speech after the oath taking of local officials in his hometown Davao City, where his son Sebastian was elected mayor.

"It is hard to stop the corrosive effect of money upon the person," he added.

Duterte also promised to end drugs and crime in three to six months but later conceded that such problems are so pervasive that he erred in his earlier pronouncement.

Back in July 2021, Duterte said corruption could not be curbed overnight but that he made progress in fighting it.

The President said he removed from the Bureau of Customs and Bureau of Immigration corrupt officials, including those involved in the pastillas scheme which allegedly received bribe money in exchange of entry to foreigners sans proper documents and procedures. -NB, GMA News