UNO: Corruption rating under GMA won't improve

MANILA, Philippines – The United Opposition (UNO) led by Makati City Mayor Jejomar Binay said the survey of Transparency International (TI) showing the country’s low ratings in fighting corruption is not expected to improve as long as the Arroyo administration and its officials are continually linked to irregularities.

Binay said the Arroyo administration has been selective in its anti-corruption drive, particularly focusing on its political enemies rather than officials in the bureaucracy involved in corruption.

While the government remains tough in the fight against corruption, Binay said the political opposition ends up the usual suspects if the allegations are flimsy and without legal basis.

Binay cited the long-festering allegations against former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante, who is accused of funneling agriculture funds to administration allies during the 2004 presidential elections.

“If the person involved is an ally of Malacañang, as in the case of Jocjoc Bolante, the administration invokes so many legal restrictions. They have so many reasons why he should not be charged for corruption,” Binay said.

According to Binay, the latest TI report is to be expected.

As long as the administration itself is linked to acts of corruption, coddles allies and persecutes critics, the Philippines will continue to slip in the corruption rankings, he said.

The Philippines’ rating in the 2008 Global Corruption Report released by the TI dropped 10 places from the previous year, tying for 141st place with Cameroon, Iran and Yemen.

Last year, the country tied for 131st place with Burundi, Honduras, Iran, Libya, Nepal and Yemen.

TI officials in the country said the failure to resolve major corruption cases, citing the controversial national broadband deal with China’s ZTE Corp., contributed to the plunge in the country’s ratings.

Malacañang’s chief of the graft-busting body, on the other hand, dismissed the TI survey, claiming it was “based solely on a survey of public perception” that only “aggravates a misconception” about corruption.

Secretary Constancia de Guzman, chairperson of the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC), said the survey done by the corruption watchdog was based “not on a factual assessment of the actual situation.”

“As such, it does not reflect the realities on the ground,” De Guzman said.

Being a survey on public perception, the report does not consider the reforms made by the Philippines, including the government’s Integrity Development Action Plan, according to De Guzman.