PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte claims that declining gifts as chief executive has been his policy – from the time he was still mayor of Davao City until he became President.
He said receiving gifts is something he never did while in the government service, and even declared that the wrist watch he’s using would normally cost around P300,000 during his stint as Davao City Mayor, Duterte said in his last State of the Nation Address (SONA).
“Sa Davao noong mayor ako ni minsan hindi ako tumatanggap maski Christmas gift. Dito sa Maynila, presidente ako ngayon maraming nagpapadala ng baril kung ano dyan, sabi ko isauli mo ‘yan,” Duterte said.
“Yung mga relo. Itong aking relo, this is only P300,000 but the Patek that has come my way, return it. Kapag hindi, itapon mo sa Pasig River sa harapan nila,” he added.
The Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Government Officials and Employees and the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act both prohibit government workers from receiving gifts in connection with their official functions.
However, Duterte sometime in 2019 said there’s nothing wrong with policemen accepting gifts from generous and thankful persons.
Malacañang has made it clear that Duterte was against corruption, especially if the gift was given in anticipation of or in exchange for a favor from a government official or employee.