Presidential aspirant Sen. Manny Pacquiao said part of the solution to corruption is educating the voters not to vote for corrupt officials.
In a roundtable discussion organized by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Pacquiao and three other presidential candidates presented proposals on how to enforce transparency in government.
Pacquiao traced the problem to alleged toothless law enforcement and lack of respect for the law, as well.
He called on the people to be more cautious in casting their votes.
“We have nobody to blame but ourselves. If we vote for the thieves who will abuse us, whom do we blame? Solet us think deeply because the future of our children is at stake in this election,” Paquiao said.
Former National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales said trust should be restored in government.
“If we reduce the bureaucratic system, the incidence of corruption will go down. We saw that during our watch. Restore trust in our officials. But we are doing the reverse now,” Gonzales said.
Labor leader Leody De Guzman batted for political reforms such as passing an enabling law against political dynasties, and regulating chances of moneyed candidates in winning in the elections.
As long as the corrupt are able to get into the government, we cannot do away with theft, he added.