Social media eyed vs graft

MANILA, Philippines - The Office of the Ombudsman will tap social media to enhance public participation in the fight against corruption.

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales disclosed this on Friday during the “Integrity Lecture,” a series of lectures on various good governance and anti-corruption topics to be delivered by distinguished personalities from the local and global community.

Morales said they would encourage the people to take footage of actual corrupt practices in government.

"This will encourage citizens to become pro-active watchdogs," she said.

The ombudsman's office will encourage technology-savvy Filipinos to take footage of graft-related activities of government officials and employees using their phones or other gadgets.

Morales said netizens could post the footage online to give the agency investigative leads.

She added that government investigators would check the veracity of these videos before conducting a full-blown probe.

Meanwhile, the guest speaker during the lecture was Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas, head of Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission from 2003 to 2007.

He talked about the role of civil society organizations in the fight against corruption in Indonesia.