Duterte fires MARINA administrator over excessive foreign trips

President Rodrigo Duterte has fired Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) administrator Marcial Amaro III over excessive foreign trips.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. announced  Amaro's removal from post. Duterte found as excessive Amaro’s 24 trips - 6 in 2016 and 18 in 2017 - since he came to office, he said

Amaro traveled more times than Terry Ridon, the former Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor chair  was also fired by the President for taking at least 7 foreign trips as head of the commission. Roque said

"If seven foreign travels was deemed excessive by the President, 24 travels is definitely excessive by the President's standards," he added.

"Let this be a reminder to all public officials that the President is serious in his mandate that they live modest lives, that they should be true to their callings and avoid unnecessary trips." He added

Roque noted that while only one of Amaro’s 24 trips was not official, “the point of the President is we have to be selective in the trips we will undertake, and 24 travels is excessive.”

He added that of Amaro’s 24 trips, only 3 were sponsored while the rest were shouldered by the government. 

“In almost all the trips, he received honorarium and other sums,” Roque said.