(Eagle News) — President Rodrigo Duterte has fired government corporate counsel Rudolf Philip Jurado.
Duterte made the announcement after the signing of the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act on Monday, May 28.
“May I call the Government Corporate Counsel now? Are you in this (room)? Nandito ka? Kasi kung nandito ka, lumabas ka. You are fired,” Duterte said.
“So you are just (like) Pagcor operating an independent entity with the same powers. You grant everything, kung hindi ka tar*n**do,” he added.
Jurado’s dismissal came days after he brushed aside allegations of corruption contained in a letter reportedly from lawyers in the Office of the Government Corporate Counsel.
The letter accused Jurado of approving a lease agreement good for 75 years that would allow a foreign company to put up a casino-hotel without public bidding, and of providing the company with a gambling permit.
It also accused Jurado of writing a legal opinion that allowed the Aurora Economic Zone and Freeport to operate outside the zone for as long as it was within areas controlled by the Philippine Economic Zone Authority.
Jurado denied the allegations, adding the OGCC has no power to grant such permits.
“More importantly, (supposed OGCC lawyers) should have also revealed that our office imposed at least 12 conditions that should be complied prior to the execution of the proposed contract of lease to ensure that said contract would not be disadvantageous to the government and compliant to all existing laws and regulations,” Jurado said in a statement.
