EDITORIAL - Fighting corruption

Does the campaign of President Benigno Aquino III against corruption really pay off? If the result of a study is to be believed, it seems he is winning what everybody deemed an uphill battle.

A survey conducted by the National Statistics Office revealed that majority of Filipinos do not pay bribes. The study, commissioned by the Office of the Ombudsman, has a staggering 90 percent of 26,000 respondents saying they don’t have to pay grease money in their transaction with the government.

This positive development, according to the Office of the Ombudsman, is the result of an improved delivery of services and reduced red tape in government agencies. To put it simply, there is now a growing intolerance of corruption in the country.

Undeniably, this is certainly a piece of good news that would surely give a boost to the country’s image before the international community. It remains to be seen, however, whether the result of the survey will bring a positive impact in the government’s drive to make a statement before the world that it really means business.  

The Philippines has always been notorious when it comes to shady deals involving government officials. For decades, corruption has hindered the country’s effort to achieve real economic growth.

Investments would only come in trickles because foreign investors do not take the risk. The country is really weak in promoting a business-friendly environment because of a government system that is tainted with corruption.

Perhaps the positive result of the survey would somehow encourage this present administration to be more serious in fighting corruption. But putting up a serious fight does not mean it needs to be more aggressive in going after the corrupt practices of the previous administration.

Those previous government officials are already a thing of the past. It would be a waste of precious energy and time going after them because foreign investors do not have to deal with them anymore.  

The fight against corruption should be centered on where the actual action is. The campaign should start from the smallest government unit, the barangay, up to the halls of Malacañang if the Aquino government is really serious in its drive to stamp out corruption before its term ends.