Noy: Corrupt gov’t agency will get severe jolt

MANILA, Philippines - The relentless campaign against graft and corruption would continue, President Aquino yesterday said, warning that one of the perceived “most corrupt” government agencies “will get a very severe jolt” in due time.

“I cannot go into details but let me promise you that very soon one of the most perceived corrupt agencies will get a very severe jolt. We are preparing the necessary actions. Our prosecutors might have a hard time (going after them) if they get to hide the evidence,” Aquino said during the station managers conference of the Radio Mindanao Network in Malacañang on Thursday.

“But once and for all, we are no longer kidding when we appeal that they join the straight path. It seems they feel that they can disobey us and continue with their irregular activities. We are going to show them that they are mistaken,” the President said in Filipino.

Aquino said he wanted to show that his administration was serious in fighting corruption and belied observations that government efforts to fight graft and corruption had not cascaded down to the lower levels of the bureaucracy.

He cited for instance the Land Transportation Office, which in the past had so many fixers that victimized the public. He said the LTO was now being praised for its better service in the absence of fixers.

The President also said that a recent ranking by Transparency International put the Philippines at a better status in terms of diminishing corruption.

This jump in ranking is substantial, the President said, as he assured the public that his administration will work harder to achieve even better results in the future.