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Friday, June 03, 2005
Public also to blame for corruption: Arroyo aide
MANILA -- Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said corruption in government could also be blamed on a public who gives bribes to government officers to hasten transactions or get the desired outcome.
"Ang corruption, iyan naman ay hindi nangyayari kung wala rin namang bribery. Wala namang tatangap talaga kung walang naglalagay," Ermit said in a radio interview. (Corruption will not happen if there is no bribery. No one will accept any bribe unless someone offers it.)
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's executive secretary was reacting to a Social Weather Stations (SWS) from January 21 to March 15 showing that 66 percent of business managers in the country see "a lot" of corruption in the public sector while 54 percent of managers admitted to engaging in bribery to win both public and private contracts, even allotting 10-15 percent of their budget for it.
Ermita begged Filipinos to stop offering money so their transactions would be prioritized and instead be patient and follow procedures.
About 36 percent of Filipino managers said their companies were asked for bribes in getting local government permits and licenses.
Thirty percent experienced it while paying income taxes, 28 percent while getting National Government permits and licenses, 21 percent while complying with import regulations, 18 percent while collecting receivables from government, 16 percent while supplying government with goods and services, and 10 percent while availing of government incentives.
Only eight percent, however, have reported the solicitation to either a public or private anti-corruption group.
The SWS survey also showed that the willingness of enterprises to fund a private sector anti-corruption program is now at a median 5 percent of net income. In Metro Manila, the number is at three percent.
Ermita and Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin objected to survey results showing the negative perception to the sincerity of government in its campaign against corruption.
Boncodin said the result is unfair and not many public officials and employees are corrupt while Ermita said it is a mere perception that the government is not doing anything or is insincere in its campaign since the public has yet to see actual cases on corruption that have been filed and resolved and persons or officials actually punished for it.
Ermita said President Arroyo would not tolerate corruption in her administration and is intent in eradicating corruption in government.
He added that the negative perception should serve as a wake-up call for the government.
Arroyo's spokesman Ignacio Bunye said the negative perception should serve as a challenge for government to do better in its campaign against corruption.
"But we are encouraged by the news of increasing support from the business sector for the anti-corruption campaign of the government. We see this as part of growing overall confidence in our efforts not just to put our fiscal house in order but also to cut leakages and waste and to improve governance," he added.
In the SWS survey, only the Securities and Exchange Commission (55 percent) and the Philippine Stock Exchange (52 percent) of the 26 agencies rated obtained net sincerity ratings of more than 50 percent (Very Good).
Scores between 31-50 (Good) were obtained by the Supreme Court (48 percent), the health department (40 percent), and barangay government (31 percent) while agencies with "Very Bad" (worse than -50) scores were the Bureau of Customs (-75), Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) (-66), and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) (-59). Those with "Bad" (between -31 and -50) scores were the Land Transportation Office (-45), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) (-44), Philippine National Police (PNP) (-42) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) (-38).
The city, municipal governments, Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Ombudsman, Sandiganbayan, Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of Education (DepEd) have scores between +11 and +30, called "Moderate". The Senate, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the House of Representatives have scores between -11 and -30 or "Poor" while scores between +10 and -10 (Mediocre) were obtained by the Office of the President, Commission on Audit (COA), Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), trial courts, and Philippine Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC). (JMR/Sun.Star Manila/Sunnex)
(June 3, 2005 issue)
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