Fight against corruption starts at the polls -- Loren

Senator Loren Legarda warned yesterday that corruption undermines democracy and good governance, and results in the unfair provision by the government of services to the public.

Legarda issued the statement in reaction to a Transparency International (TI) report that lumped the Philippines at the top rung of countries most affected by bribery in the world.

"The TI report, especially the perception by 70 percent of the survey respondents that corruption in the Philippines is going to worsen in the next three years, can no longer be called a wake-up call," said Legarda.

"This is because bribe-taking is already common knowledge in our country. It is already part and parcel of a deeply-seated culture of corruption," she stressed.

"It has come to the point when we seem to be helpless against it when, in fact, we can still erase the stigma of corruption in the Philippines."

Legarda said corruption should be the key consideration when Filipinos elect their leaders during elections.

"The cleansing process begins when we elect leaders who are deserving of the people's trust, when we elect leaders who are untainted by corruption scandals."

The challenge, said Legarda, is to address the root causes of corruption, those that motivate bribe-takers and bribe-givers.

She added that corruption is a two-way street, which should be addressed through the honest-to-goodness prosecution of both bribe-takers and bribe-givers; and through the inculcation of professionalism in public service, by way of providing decent remuneration to government workers.

"Corruption at the grassroots level can be stemmed by not giving government workers starvation pay that make them susceptible to corruption in a desire to augment their incomes," said Legarda.

But she said corruption at the upper echelon of government, including the legislature and the judiciary, is best addressed through effective prosecution of erring officials.

"Corruption in the legislative branch of government distorts policymaking as laws passed may be tainted by vested interests fueled by big lobby funds," she said.

"Bribe-taking in the judiciary, on the other hand, makes a mockery of the rule of law and compromises the administration of justice."

Overall, corruption undermines a country's development as it subverts formal processes in governance in exchange for bribes.

Legarda said it also erodes the institutional capability of the government to address the needs of the people as resources are siphoned off.

"At the end of the day, the biggest victim of corruption is government itself, when the people lose their trust and tolerance of their leaders.