President Rodrigo Duterte revealed that he had refused to accept a luxury car recently gifted to him.
He did not name the donor, but said that he is auctioning off the car as he has no desire or need for it, reported ABS CBN news.
“This is the truth, someone gave me a Mercedez-Benz, that’s true. Go to the PSG compound, it’s there. I did not accept it, I only left it there,” said the President.
Proceeds from the car’s sale will be used for state projects, Duterte added.
He added that, “If any taxpayer is interested, buy it from the government, I’ll sell it to you. I don’t ride cars. Davao City residents know that, I only use a 1988 pick-up truck. Even now, when I go to Davao, I only use my truck.”
He then reminded public officials about the rules covering extravagant gifts.
“It’s just simple. It’s common sense. Once you accept it, it’s graft, because of the amount. If that’s just a ballpen, I would really accept it,” he said.
