MANILA, Philippines – Former interior and local government secretary and Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas III on Monday said the Aquino administration living by the straight path or “Daang Matuwid” reduced the corruption in the country.
Roxas said corruption is a massive problem faced by the country and compared it to malaria, saying “once it gets in, it is never completely eliminated and even with defenses and vigilance, those who want to takes advantage still commit corruption."
“Nobody is saying that we have reached paradise or that there is zero (corruption). We are very, very safe to say that corruption has been substantially reduced if not eliminated,” Roxas said during the roundtable discussion with the editors, columnists and reporters of The STAR.
“I think it’s quite clear that over the last five years... sumikip at nabawasan at natanggalan ng napakaraming pagkakataon para sa pag-corrupt,” he said.
Roxas cited that there are cases that even members of the Liberal Party were being charged by the anti-graft court and the Ombudsman appointed by the administration. He said the number of those sacked compared to the opposition proves no one is being favored by the government when it comes to corruption.
Due to the current administration, Roxas said “people that nobody would ever imagine would be prosecuted and put to jail are being put to jail, contracts that are anomalous to begin with have been reversed, and contracts that they did undertake went to very stringent procedures” and if there are witnesses and other overlaps or oversight were found, there were investigations.
Roxas also mentioned that corruption has been the root of the country’s problems that the current administration and his potential administration seek to eliminate.
“Matibay ang anti-corruption foundation ng Daang Matuwid. And if you take a look at every problems societal, economic, political, if you take a look at all of the problems that we suffered through at its root causes is corruption, corruption,” Roxas said.
“I mean we’re still paying for stuff that were done corruption that was done generations ago. Nabuhol buhol na, naging masalimuot na dahil napakaraming issue dahil napakatagal na ng korupsyon,” he added.
The LP standard bearer said he and his running mate Maria Leonoro “Leni” Robredo is clear that they will follow the straight path and continue to eliminate or reduce corruption if elected.
Watch the video below.
Video by Efigenio Toledo IV