President Rodrigo Duterte has fired Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) administrator Marcial Quirico Amaro 3rd for frequent unofficial foreign trips in 2016 and 2017.
Palace spokesman Harry Roque Jr said on Thursday Amaro had travelled abroad seven times in 2016 and 17 times in 2017, or 24 trips in two years, based on records from the Department of Transportation.
“The president has terminated the services of Amaro of Marina. All but one of the 24 trips are on official business, and only three of them (official trips) were sponsored trips. The rest were paid by the Philippine government, and he has received honorariums for such,” he told reporters in a news conference.
Roque, echoing the line of Marina employees and clients who had mounted the campaign to get Amaro axed, pointed out that if Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor Chairman James Mark Terry Ridon was fired for making seven trips in one year, “then 24 is certainly excessive by the president’s standards.”
Both Amaro and Ridon have denied that their trips were junkets.
Roque said the president was informed of Amaro’s excessive foreign travels on December 22 through a complaint made by Marina employees.
“This is a reminder to public officials to stay true to their mandate, lead modest lives and avoid unnecessary foreign trips,” Roque said.
On Wednesday, Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea warned government employees under the Executive department against excessive travel abroad, official business or otherwise.
Medialdea issued the memorandum “to ensure compliance with the pronouncements of President Duterte against lavish travels of government officials and personnel.”
Based on Medialdea’s memo, a government official’s foreign travel should be consistent with the official’s mandate; not incur excessive expenses and should bring substantial benefit to the country. The memo requires a government official to secure a travel authorisation from his or her agency, even for personal trips, and accomplish the necessary forms.
Such travel should not hamper the efficiency of the agency, the memo said.
Medialdea’s memo also covers employees of government-owned and -controlled corporations and government financial institutions.
The memo mirrors Executive Order 459 issued by President Gloria Arroyo in 2005, which streamlines the procedure for the disposition of requests of government officials and employees for authority to travel abroad.
Roque said that henceforth, “All government employees need to get approval for any foreign travel, be it official or personal.”
“This is the president’s unilateral decision to crack down on foreign travels of government officials. He believes that government officials should concentrate on their jobs here in the Philippines… Any foreign travel must conform to the guidelines,” he added.
The Department of Transportation (DoTr) on Thursday said it respects the decision of President Duterte to terminate Amaro as Marina administrator.
“The DoTr trusts that the president’s decision is just, fair, and unprejudiced as it was based on verifiable facts and a thorough investigation,” it said in a statement.
“The DoTr, under the leadership of Secretary Arthur Tugade, looks into the affairs and performances of all its attached agencies, and shall not, in any case, tolerate corruption and excesses in government service. Rest assured that the DoTr and its attached agencies and offices will be very discerning and judicious in this matter,” the agency added.
Earlier, the United Filipino Seafarers urged the Senate to conduct a thorough investigation over alleged “jet-setting” and “globe-trotting” of Amaro.
