House to prioritize passage of anti-corruption measures

MANILA, Philippines –  Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said yesterday the House of Representatives would prioritize the passage of several anti-corruption measures as part of the chamber’s effort to encourage investments, promote transparency and eradicate poverty.

He said the United Nations estimates that more than 10 percent of the country’s Gross National Product is lost to various forms of corruption, while some surveys ranked the Philippines fourth most corrupt among 16 Southeast Asian countries.

“Paradoxically, this level of corruption co-exists with and festers in spite of the numerous institutions that have been established to fight it. There are about 30 anti-corruption laws and more than 15 agencies established to eradicate it,” Belmonte said.

“This paradox informs us the drive against corruption requires a comprehensive approach that includes enhancing law enforcement, increasing prosecutorial success, and establishing a culture of transparency in government,” he said.

He said a major factor that turns off investors is the high risk of doing business in the country, which is aggravated by corruption.

Belmonte also said the House is committed to passing other measures aimed at reducing or eliminating corruption.

These include amending the Anti-Money Laundering Law to expand the list of predicate offenses and to allow ex parte applications for opening bank accounts.

The chamber is also working on the passage of a Whistleblowers’ Act, which seeks to protect and compensate whistleblowers and witnesses for the trouble they face for exposing irregularities.

Belmonte also said the House would likely approve the Freedom of Information (FOI) Bill, which was nearly approved in the previous Congress.

“The FOI Bill requires government agencies, subject to certain limitations and procedures, to make available for public scrutiny, copying and access to relevant information pertaining to official acts, transactions
or decisions and government research data,” he said.

“The present leadership was swept into power upon its twin promise of alleviating poverty and fighting corruption. Its slogan, ‘Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap’ (there are no poor where there are no corrupt), resonated with an electorate whose tolerance for corruption has dropped inversely with a heightened demand for a better life,” Belmonte said. –Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star)