President Rodrigo Duterte criticized Vice President Leni Robredo for saying that public officials accepting gifts from the people who helped by them is unconstitutional.
During his speech at the Outstanding Government Workers Awards Rites in Malacanang on Wednesday, President Duterte explained that there are exemptions in the law where a public official may accept gifts if they received it out of gratitude.
He also mentioned Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Panfilo Lacson, who criticized him for his statements about public official receiving gifts.
According to the President, the country might be in trouble if Robredo becomes the President as she doesn’t understand the law.
Meanwhile, he said that he would forgive Lacson because the latter “is not a lawyer.”
“I quoted the very words (of) anti-graft and corrupt practices. There is an exemption there, nominal, and I used the word nominal and out of gratitude. Alam mo naman ang Pilipino, hindi naman ako basta magbubunganga,” said Duterte.
“Tapos si Leni talaga ‘kasi illegal and unconstitutional’ hay sabi ko ma’am kung ikaw ang mag Presidente ng Pilipinas paktay… you do not even read the book,” he added.
The President even made a joke, offering the Vice Presidential position to the audience.
On August, Duterte told the members of the Philippine National Police to not refuse the gifts being given to them by the people.
“Hindi ko kayo iipitin, basta ‘pag bigayan kayo eh tanggapin ‘nyo. It is not bribery…it cannot be bribery because it is allowed by law. What I mean, if there is generosity in them, sabi ng anti-graft [law] you cannot accept gifts? Kalokohan,” Duterte said.