30 business, concerned groups call for independent probe body; jail the corrupt, recover stolen funds

Thirty major Philippine business and concerned organizations today called for an independent body to conduct a thorough investigation to put an end to the systemic corruption, permeating in government institutions in collusion with some of the private sector players, while the majority of Filipinos wallow in dire poverty.

In a joint statement titled “Call for an end to the shameful, unabated, continuing and excessive corruption in government’s public works and other projects”, the groups declared in the strongest terms possible, their outrage, disgust and disappointment about the acts of many of the country’s legislators in Congress and officials in the Executive Department, primarily in the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the local government units (LGUs), and the Commission on Audit (COA),  for their shameful, unabated, continuing and excessive acts of graft and corruption – a crime against our people, specially those who continue to live in dire poverty.”

While the groups noted that while President Marcos already admonished the corrupt in government, they expressed concern that the guilty among these officials will “continue their merry way of robbing the people and filling their pockets, completely oblivious to the fact that they are betraying the public trust, committing a treasonous act against our people, and simply being unpatriotic and sinful.”

Thus, the group would like these corrupt officials hauled in jail, and stolen funds recovered.

With this call to action, the groups vowed to fully support the independent probe body.

The groups’s support are:

1. Help identify those who have been guilty in the conspiracy to steal from the people;

2. Participate in and support citizen and voter education campaigns to make the people aware of the evils of corruption and other malgovernance practices so that citizens can discern and elect officials who have good anti-corruption records;

3. Gather evidences of corruption against officials in the government, particularly those in the DPWH, the LGUs and COA and their partners in crime in the private sector, so that appropriate criminal and civil cases can be filed against them;

4. Blacklist the notorious businessmen and contractors who conspire with the corrupt politicians and officials, and never do business with these people;

5. Lead the individual signing of the Integrity Pledge where, among others, the leader and the company he/she leads SHALL NOT BRIBE any politician or government official in exchange for project approvals or favors; and

6. Encourage the financial sector, particularly the banks and the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC), to be one with us in bringing out the money launderers and their unexplained wealth within legal and regulatory boundaries.

The 30 business and concerned organization are:

1. Alliance of Women for Action towards Reform (AWARE)

2. Alyansa ng Nagkakaisang Mamamayan (ANIM)

3. Association of CPAs for Sustainability Inc. (ACPAFSI)

4. Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals(BCBP)

5. Cebu Business Club (CBC)

6. Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI)

7. Cebu Leads Foundation (CLF)

8. Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands (CCPI)

9. Connected Women

10. Employers Confederation of the Philippines (ECOP)

11. Federation of Philippine Industries (FPI)

12. Filipina CEO Circle (FCC)

13. Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX)

14. FinTech Alliance Philippines

15. Green EDSA Movement (GEM)

16. Iloilo Economic Development Foundation, Inc. (ILED)

17. Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA)

18. Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD)

19. Justice Reform Initiative (JRI)

20. Management Association of the Philippines (MAP)

21. Military and Uniformed Personnel for United Philippines (MUP)

22. Nextgen Organization of Women Corporate Directors (NOWCD)

23. People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP)

24. Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI)

25. Philippine Exporters Confederation, Inc. (PHILEXPORT)

26. Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants (PICPA)

27. Philippine Women’s Economic Network (PHILWEN)

28. Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc. (SEIPI)

29. Shareholders’ Association of the Philippines (SHAREPHIL)

30. Women’s Business Council Philippines (WBCP)