Pacquiao admin to charge corrupt officials on Day 1, says his VP bet Atienza

Buhay Party-list Representative and vice presidential aspirant Lito Atienza on Monday said filing charges against corrupt officials will be their first order of business if he and Senator Manny Pacquiao win in Eleksyon 2022.

Speaking to journalist Malou Mangahas on The Mangahas Interviews Special Election Series, Atienza said that fighting corruption will be the centerpiece of the Pacquiao platform.

"Kaya ako sumama kay Manny Pacquiao, siya lang ang katangi-tanging sumusumpa sa Panginoong Diyos at sa taong bayan na korapsyon ay kaniyang lalabanan. Alam ko namang gagawin niya 'yan. Tototoong tao 'to, matapang, maka-Diyos ay may pagmamahal sa buhay ng sinuman," Atienza said.

(I joined Manny Pacquiao because he is the only one swearing to God and to the Filipino people that he will fight corruption. I know he will do it. He's a real person, strong, God-fearing and with a love for the life of everyone.)

"First and foremost on day 1 of the Pacquiao-Atienza administration, corruption will be the subject of that day. We will have to charge and accuse certain people and put them to jail," he added.

Atienza underscored the need to imprison those guilty of corruption.

"'Pag walang nakukulong, walang natututo. Paulit-ulit lang 'to. Lahat ng administrasyon nangangako eh walang nakukulong kaya hanggang ngayon, lumalangoy tayo sa karagatan ng korapsyon," he said.

(If no one is imprisoned, no one will learn. It just keeps repeating. All administrations promise but no one is imprisoned to this day. We're all swimming in an ocean of corruption.) 

"We have to first punish the guilty and liberate the country from the clutches of corruption and we will all progress," he added.

Pacquiao and Atienza filed their certificates of candidacies together on October 1.

Atienza previously served as mayor of Manila before becoming the party-list representative for Buhay. — BM, GMA News