Makati residents launch anti-graft drive

Former Makati City councilor Oscar Ibay launched the other day the Save Makati Movement that will mobilize concerned citizens to support the campaign against corrupt local officials.

Ibay claimed the coalition composed of various non-government organizations that represents an estimated 70,000 members.

"It (movement) shall serve as the city’s chief conscience against corruption and shall actively prevent and help prosecute graft cases committed by erring public officials, whether big fish or small fry, in all levels of the Makati bureaucracy. The time to save Makati is now! Its time for the plunder of Makati to stop, and for grafters to go," Ibay said.

He said the movement shall intervene and push for the resolution of big graft cases involving local officials.

These cases include: the P431-million plunder case filed against Mayor Jejomar Binay regarding the anomalous purchase of equipment for the Ospital ng Makati which is pending before the Office of the Ombudsman, and the P231-million graft case against Binay, his wife Elenita and others concerning the alleged overpricing in the supply of furniture and partitions for the city hall which is now pending at the Sandiganbayan.

He added that Save Makati! will lead the exposure of new cases of irregularities and prosecute the suspects accordingly.

The group will employ preventive measures to stop graft on all levels through the close monitoring of all financial transactions of the city such as project bidding, procurement of supply, and service contracts and conducting an information drive to help restore a sense of duty and public service among city hall employees and moral values in the public sector.

Ibay said the formation of the group was brought about by the common desire among concerned residents to erase the city’s alleged notoriety as one of the most corrupt government units in the country.

He added that Save Makati! is not a political movement, and does not target a specific political figure.

"All persons or groups with a genuine desire to fight graft are welcome to join regardless of political affiliation. This is not about politics. It just so happens that most cases involve Mayor Binay," he said.

Ibay said stopping graft means more progress for the city and more benefits for the people.

"Every peso of taxpayers’ money saved or recovered from the guilty grafters translates to a peso more for basic services for the people. But more importantly, every peso saved from corruption translates to a giant step towards greater pride and better image for the city," he added.