Roxas: Corruption Is “Salt In The Wound” of Poor Filipinos

“President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo must take drastic measures in changing the adminis-tration’s corrupt image if the Philippines is to receive much needed foreign aid during the present financial crisis”, said Sen. Mar Roxas.

He decried the country’s ineligibility for aid from the United States’ Millennium Challenge Corp. as a result of rampant corruption in the government, saying this “rubbed salt in the wound” of Filipinos trying to cope with the dire economic situation.

“Despite the propaganda of President Arroyo’s people about the economy, every Filipino knows the real situation, and their anger grows as corruption in government worsens,” Roxas said.

“What’s worse is that even if our economy is in shambles, President Arroyo and her aides think of nothing but how to stay in power or come up with scams such as of Joc-Joc Bolante. We are sinking deeper into poverty,” he said.

The Philippines slipped in the Millennium Challenge Corporation’s (MCC) “control of corruption” scorecard, from 76 percent in the fiscal year 2007 to 57 percent in FY2008 and now 47 percent in FY2009. In 2006, the US government corporation extended $21 million in assistance to the Philippines to help it combat corruption, but to no avail.

“As the people’s view of our leaders goes down, we are also dropping in corruption ratings. It’s clear that it’s the fault of President Arroyo, after eight years of power, for Millennium Challenge Corporation’s assessment,” the Ilonggo senator said.

Chiz Calls Parties Forward For JBC Selection

On the other hand, to intensify the transparency campaign for the Judicial Bar Council (JBC) proceedings, Senator Chiz Escudero is calling all non-governmental organizations and interested parties to come forward and make known their positions with respect to the applicants and nominees in the council.

Escudero, senate representative to the JBC said groups and individuals can send and place their comments and inputs on the nominees they want and those they do not want to sit in any judicial post.

As the council now espouses an open-voting system, Escudero posed back the challenge among court watch groups to publicly get involved in judicial appointments by making known their preferences to help council members choose only the most deserving nominees in one of the country’s sensitive and significant positions.

“The demand for transparency is a two-way street. It does not only emanate from us who sit in the council. It is but proper that third parties also make known their views, put their names on a particular applicant or nominee,” Escudero pointed out.

“The public should also be accountable in filtering the names of the nominees that will be finally submitted to the President,” Escudero added.
“Accountability and transparency are demanded of our public officials. However, shouldn’t the public be held accountable too in terms of putting the person fitted to judiciary posts and weeding out the unworthy ones from the nominees list?” He asked.

The JBC, he said should remain a bastion of independence from political and outside influence, thus vigilance and active participation from the public should compliment council members’ accountability in appointing members of the judiciary.

Escudero’s office welcomes any input from the public. All comments and suggestions will be brought to the council for consideration in the selection process. /MP