Corruption is the most difficult crime to investigate, and we need people’s cooperation for us to fight corruption in our country.
Commissioner Nicasio Conti of the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission made this appeal
during the anti-corruption forum conducted for representatives of government agencies, non-government and people’s organizations from Region I and the Cordillera held last week in Baguio City.
The youthful commissioner, while acknowledging that battling corruption that has been plaguing the country for a long time would be very difficult and will take time, is optimistic that that this can be solved if people will cooperate with authorities in reporting corrupt practices and if there is political will. He cited the case of Hong Kong, which was one of the most corrupt countries before, but made a turn around to become one of the top least corrupt nations in Asia today.
Conti explained that government has adopted various anti-corruption strategies like lifestyle checks and strengthening the investigative capacity of the Ombudsman. To date, around 50 public officials have been dismissed from the service for failing the lifestyle check.
Preventive strategies include procurement reforms like the establishment of regional procurement depots where line agencies and local government units can purchase office supplies at lesser price, simplification of procedures in front line services and opening of government projects to public scrutiny.
One of the identified causes of corruption is the people’s high tolerance for corrupt practices because of ‘utang na loob’ and ‘pakikisama’ and vanishing values. Government aims to promote zero tolerance for corruption which includes values formation.
Conti noted the greater participation of the church and civil society against corruption nowadays citing some campaigns which they are spearheading or participating in like Medicine Monitoring of medicine deliveries in hospital, Textbook Count of actual book deliveries in schools, IRA Watch and Pork Barrel Watch on the usage of government funds, among others.
The commissioner is hopeful that many corrupt officials will be persecuted soon since it is now being worked out that government may hire or tap private lawyers to represent the state in corruption cases. At present, those charged with corruption have the money and very often, they tap high caliber lawyers to defend them in their cases leaving the government at the losing end.
The forum was part of the government’s intensified campaign against corruption which is one of President Macapagal-Arroyo’s priority thrusts. –PIA-CAR