MANILA, Philippines - Two Catholic bishops called on President Aquino to use his remaining year in power to fulfill his promise to address corruption in the country.
Citing the recent Radio Veritas survey showing that almost 50 percent of Filipinos perceived President Aquino has failed to address corruption, Emeritus Novaliches Bishop Teodoro Bacani and Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Public Affairs Committee (CBCP-PAC) chairman Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said this should serve as a wake-up call.
Radio Veritas yesterday released its 7th Truth Survey, this time on the public’s perception on the Aquino administration’s efforts to eradicate corruption in government, five days before Aquino’s sixth and last State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Out of the 1,200 respondents questioned during the nationwide survey during the second quarter, Clifford Sorita, who heads the research department of Radio Veritas, said that 46 percent of Filipinos believe the President failed in his campaign promise of “matuwid na daan”(straight path).
In the survey done during the second quarter of the year, about 41 percent of the Filipinos said they were “moderately corrupt” while 13 percent said Aquino succeeded in fighting corruption in government.
Bacani said that it saddened him to see that the survey showed that only a smaller group of Filipinos believed the Chief Executive was successful in his campaign.
“This should be a wake-up call. They should look at the factors why the (survey) turned out this way,” Bacani said.
With the upcoming SONA, Bacani said he is hoping to hear Aquino say that the people might not be aware or do not understand the accomplishments of his administration, and that he would want to have a more extensive campaign to inform the public on the reforms instituted thus far.
“I would also like to hear the President admit that he had his share of shortcomings. The government should admit its shortcoming. They should confess in order for change to happen,” Pabillo added.
“There is still one year and he could still do a lot, he would still be able to redeem (himself)… One year is a lot of time to redeem yourself,” he said.
Pabillo said the government should look deeper and take the public’s viewpoint.
When Aquino became president in 2010, he took over from now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who faced several corruption issues.