Gov't lost P1.2 trillion in 5 years to corruption -- Ombudsman
Corruption has cost the government a whopping total of P1.2 trillion over the last five years, or about P240 billion a year, Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez said on Tuesday.
Gutierrez made the disclosure at the start of the seminar-workshop on Integrity Development and Public Accountability at the Quezon City Hall that was attended by 142 barangay (village) captains of the city.
"Our country in the last five years has lost a whopping P1.2 trillion to graft. That is roughly equivalent to $48 billion. Can you imagine how many infrastructure projects could have been pursued? How many jobs could have been generated? How much equipment used in peace and order could have been bought, had this amount been used instead to improve our collective lives?" Gutierrez said.
By Gutierrez's estimate, the cost of corrupt practices by government officials and agencies redounds to about P20 billion a month, or P666,000 a day.
She did not offer details, however, on what specific agencies, practices or contracts accounted for her estimate of the public funds lost to corruption.
According to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), the government's foreign debt was valued at close to P1.8 trillion as of February this year.
In her speech, Gutierrez said the government funds lost to corruption could have gone to productive use like infrastructure projects, better social services and foreign debt servicing.
"Bigger amounts have been lost to corruption. If that amount had been used in paying our foreign debts, we could have wiped out totally our foreign debt. We would still have a surplus from the said amount," Gutierrez said.
The threat of corruption has become a global concern, she said, because its impact cuts across various sectors in society.
"Corruption is not only happening in government offices but also [affects] some members of the private sector. If we will not give it special attention, it will lead to deterioration of our society. Madalas, ang mga mahihirap ang naapektuhan dahil sa corruption. Corruption also wreaks havoc on our moral fiber," she added.
It was high time, she urged, to lick corruption to pave the way for better governance and alleviate the lives of the poor.
She said she believed that eradicating corruption should start at the grassroots level with the active participation of the barangays.
Gutierrez urged the barangay officials to be proactive in eradicating corruption by starting a new life and casting aside "the old system."
"It is not enough to formulate several programs for the eradication of graft and corruption. Let us change the system. But before we change the system, we, ourselves should change. We must accept that some of us here accept the old attitude or old system. Through your (barangay officials) initiatives, magkakaroon na tayo ng maayos, malinis at marangal na pamahalaan pati na ang ating pamumuhay," Gutierrez added.
The Office of the Ombudsman organized the seminar for barangay captains as part of its corruption prevention program.
The seminar sought to provide participants with basic knowledge about corruption, including laws and preventive measures.
The Philippines ranks 117th in Transparency International's worldwide Corruption Perception Index, a drop from its 102nd finish last year.
The lower a country ranks in the index, the more it is seen as suffering from corruption. Transparency International is a non-government anti-corruption organization.
The country currently has 17 agencies mandated to avert corruption in the bureaucracy. Leading them are the Office of the Ombudsman, the Sandiganbayan and the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG).
The 2006 World Competitiveness Yearbook, published by the Swiss Institute for Management Development, lists the Philippines as the 49th most competitive country among 61 countries surveyed. The study was first published in 1989.
The results are based on 312 criteria divided into four major competitiveness factors: economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency, and infrastructure.
The Philippines ranked next to worst (60th) in terms of risk of political instability, and bribery and corruption.
The country also placed dismally when credit rating and image abroad (both at 57th) and customs authorities and efficient transit of goods (59th) were considered.
The Philippines was also in 49th place last year, after improvements in business efficiency lifted it from its 52nd place finish in 2004.-GMANews.TV & GMA News Research
Gutierrez made the disclosure at the start of the seminar-workshop on Integrity Development and Public Accountability at the Quezon City Hall that was attended by 142 barangay (village) captains of the city.
"Our country in the last five years has lost a whopping P1.2 trillion to graft. That is roughly equivalent to $48 billion. Can you imagine how many infrastructure projects could have been pursued? How many jobs could have been generated? How much equipment used in peace and order could have been bought, had this amount been used instead to improve our collective lives?" Gutierrez said.
By Gutierrez's estimate, the cost of corrupt practices by government officials and agencies redounds to about P20 billion a month, or P666,000 a day.
She did not offer details, however, on what specific agencies, practices or contracts accounted for her estimate of the public funds lost to corruption.
According to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB), the government's foreign debt was valued at close to P1.8 trillion as of February this year.
In her speech, Gutierrez said the government funds lost to corruption could have gone to productive use like infrastructure projects, better social services and foreign debt servicing.
"Bigger amounts have been lost to corruption. If that amount had been used in paying our foreign debts, we could have wiped out totally our foreign debt. We would still have a surplus from the said amount," Gutierrez said.
The threat of corruption has become a global concern, she said, because its impact cuts across various sectors in society.
"Corruption is not only happening in government offices but also [affects] some members of the private sector. If we will not give it special attention, it will lead to deterioration of our society. Madalas, ang mga mahihirap ang naapektuhan dahil sa corruption. Corruption also wreaks havoc on our moral fiber," she added.
It was high time, she urged, to lick corruption to pave the way for better governance and alleviate the lives of the poor.
She said she believed that eradicating corruption should start at the grassroots level with the active participation of the barangays.
Gutierrez urged the barangay officials to be proactive in eradicating corruption by starting a new life and casting aside "the old system."
"It is not enough to formulate several programs for the eradication of graft and corruption. Let us change the system. But before we change the system, we, ourselves should change. We must accept that some of us here accept the old attitude or old system. Through your (barangay officials) initiatives, magkakaroon na tayo ng maayos, malinis at marangal na pamahalaan pati na ang ating pamumuhay," Gutierrez added.
The Office of the Ombudsman organized the seminar for barangay captains as part of its corruption prevention program.
The seminar sought to provide participants with basic knowledge about corruption, including laws and preventive measures.
The Philippines ranks 117th in Transparency International's worldwide Corruption Perception Index, a drop from its 102nd finish last year.
The lower a country ranks in the index, the more it is seen as suffering from corruption. Transparency International is a non-government anti-corruption organization.
The country currently has 17 agencies mandated to avert corruption in the bureaucracy. Leading them are the Office of the Ombudsman, the Sandiganbayan and the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG).
The 2006 World Competitiveness Yearbook, published by the Swiss Institute for Management Development, lists the Philippines as the 49th most competitive country among 61 countries surveyed. The study was first published in 1989.
The results are based on 312 criteria divided into four major competitiveness factors: economic performance, government efficiency, business efficiency, and infrastructure.
The Philippines ranked next to worst (60th) in terms of risk of political instability, and bribery and corruption.
The country also placed dismally when credit rating and image abroad (both at 57th) and customs authorities and efficient transit of goods (59th) were considered.
The Philippines was also in 49th place last year, after improvements in business efficiency lifted it from its 52nd place finish in 2004.-GMANews.TV & GMA News Research
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