(Eagle News) — Dismissed Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael “Mike” Sueno said he has accepted “wholeheartedly” the decision of President Rodrigo Duterte, but insisted he is not corrupt.
In a statement, Sueno also said he would have wanted the President to have “validated” the information that had reached him.
“I just wished the information was validated. If only the President asked DILG personnel from the central down to the regional and field offices, he would have known who amongst us are more credible and trustworthy,” he said.
Three DILG undersecretaries – John Castriciones for operations, Jesus Hinlo for public safety and Emilie Padilla for legislative liaison and special concerns – sent a letter to Malacañang allegedly detailing the complaints against Sueno.
“What goes around comes around. I hope that they will do better than I did in the DILG. I may be old, I may not be as articulate as my three lawyer-undersecretaries, but if there is one thing that I am sure of is I am not corrupt,” Sueno said as he took a swipe at his three former undersecretaries.
The former DILG chief said he was open to a probe on the allegations hurled against him by the interior officials.
Sueno claimed the President must have been fed the wrong information.
“It is his call if he wants me in his Cabinet or not. But for the record, Mr. President, and I can say this with all honesty and sincerity, hindi po ako corrupt (I am not corrupt),” said Sueno in his statement.
“My conscience is clear. Inuulit ko po, wala akong ginawa o ginagawang anomaly,” he said.
The dismissed DILG chief has been accused of acquiring a hotel in South Cotabato, and trucks, allegedly for a family business, which were all beyond his means.
Sueno had insisted that the hotel belonged to his brother, and that the trucks belonged to his daughter.
-Sueno insists on firetruck deal even if it is under question in SC
Aside from this, Sueno is also criticized for his involvement in the delivery of trucks from Austria.
But Sueno said that this Austrian deal had already been perfected by the Aquino administration and he has no other choice but to abide by the contract.
“My role was to abide by the provision of the contract, which says that I should ensure that the firetrucks to be delivered are in good condition so my team and I had to go to Austria to inspect them. If we did not do that, we cannot anymore complain if they delivered defective firetrucks to us,” Sueno said as he explained his trip to Austria for the trucks wherein he brought members of his family.
Sueno went to Austria even if there was a pending case with the Supreme Court on the Rosenbauer firetrucks.
Sueno, however, allegedly insisted on implementing the contract even if there is a pending petition with the high court on the contract involving the firetrucks because there was “no temporary restraining order” or “any injunctive relief or even a status quo ante order.”
The contract on the Rosenbauer firetrucks was done when the DILG was headed by defeated presidential candidate Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.