President Rodrigo Duterte has fired an executive of the Housing Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) for alleged extortion.

In a press briefing on Monday, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said that HUDCC Secretary-General Falconi Millar was dismissed last week after Duterte received a complaint that the housing official allegedly asked for money from a company, which was trying to collect from the agency.

"There was a complaint, there was a sworn statement and then the President ordered an investigation against him (Millar), and there was a

credible basis, the complaint was validated," he said.

He said the complaint came from someone representing a company, which has receivable worth millions of pesos from HUDCC.

He said the firm could not collect and "then according to that sworn statement, he (complainant) was asked (to pay) in order to release (the receivables), it was done twice. But the affiant refused and so instead of giving, he executed an affidavit, he filed a complaint," Panelo said.

He said it was Millar himself who allegedly tried to extort money.

The spokesman could not recall the project where the company was involved in.

On Monday night, Malaca?ang named National Housing Authority general manager Marcelino Escada Jr. as a temporary secretary general also of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council.

"It's just a designation. So in the meantime he will perform functions of SecGen in addition to his primary duties as NHA GM," said Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea.

Millar, in an earlier statement, said that he filed his resignation and that he was a victim of a demolition job.

"It is an obvious demolition job, in protecting the interest of the government, I have annoyed some personalities," Millar has said. Celerina Monte/DMS