PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, September 10, directed the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to ignore brokers since the practice of brokerage allows corruption to continue to thrive in the bureau.

"Itong sa Customs, ang gusto ko, wala ng brokers. Kapag may broker, may corruption talaga iyan (I don't want Customs to negotiate with brokers. If there are brokers, there is really a corruption)," Duterte said in an interview with Palace reporters.

"You ignore the brokers. You go to a broker, I will not deal with you," he said.

A memorandum from the BOC defines the Customs' brokers practice as "professional services rendered by a customs broker" in the bureau.

The President said there is no need to issue a document, as he can issue a "verbal" order.

"Hindi na kailangan ng law. Sabihin ko lang (There is no need to sign a law. I will only make a verbal order). I cannot... I am the executive chief of this government. There are things which I can do that congress cannot tinker with," he said.

Duterte said he was looking at the BOC and the Bureau of Internal Revenue next in his relentless fight against corruption in government.

"Gusto ko na ngang mag-resign eh. Sabi ko hindi ko kaya. Gusto kong mag-resign kasi napapahiya ako (I want to resign from post. I can no longer handle it. I want to resign because it's a source of embarassment for me)," he said. (SunStar Philippines)