Senate President Francis Escudero acknowledged on Tuesday some progress in the Philippines’ battle against corruption, but reminded everyone of serious work that needs to be done to eliminate this recurring problem.
“The battle against corruption is one which we cannot lose. The stakes are simply too high, the consequences too grave, and the cost of failure too catastrophic to fathom,” he said at the 5th State Conference on the Implementation and Review of the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) in Malacañang.
Escudero lauded the stakeholders of the Integrity Management Program for its work to meet the Philippines’ obligations under the UNCAC, which has also shown that “great strides are being made to eradicate corruption and restore integrity, dignity and efficiency in public service.”
Left unchecked, he said corruption will metastasize and fester across every branch and level of government. This is why a whole-of-government approach must be taken to get rid of it— desk by desk, office by office, bureau by bureau—until every trace of such culture has been purged.
Escudero said the Senate continues to be an integral part of the campaign against corruption, enacting laws that support the cause, including the New Government Procurement Act, the Anti-Agricultural Sabotage Act, and the Anti-Financial Accounts Scamming Act.
He also emphasized the chamber’s oversight power “to expose and rectify corruption for national progress.”
“Corruption equals discretion and vice versa. Minimize discretion, you minimize corruption. Eliminate discretion, you eliminate corruption. Fighting corruption is an unceasing crusade, a work without rest. Measures, which might be new, soon fall prey to obsolescence,” Escudero said.
In order to stay ahead of the curve, the Senate President cited key steps that must be taken, including the digitalization of existing systems “because the portals for payment of fees, permits for business, and public expenditures are windows through which these can be monitored and seen.”
Rules, he said, must be decluttered to ensure ease of doing business and eliminate opportunities for corruption. Its language must also be clear and understandable to everyone.
“We must devolve the fight to the local level because it is a misconception that corruption is a central government program rather than a community concern. Tripwires can only be installed on the ground and not aboveground,” Escudero said.
He said whistleblowers and those in government who aid them must be encouraged to come out and defended.
“We must defund or diminish expenditures which pose the highest moral hazards, and demonstrate, reward, and incentivize best practices, show that these are not one-off victories, but replicable triumphs of good against evil,” he said.
