Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo: My war on corruption is a war on poverty

From a speech in Manila by the President of the Philippines on the second anniversary of the popular uprising against her predecessor

In ending the corruption that has victimised the people for so long, there can be no exceptions, whether through fear or favour, or through family and business connections.

It is imperative to mobilise the real victims of corruption – the general public who bear the brunt of this social malady. The ordinary Filipino is in the best position to complain, because corruption has spawned the deterioration of their standard of living.

We need a national draft of all good men and women who want to make a difference in our lives and in our country by working closely with the government in exposing corrupt practices committed by public officials and employees.

We need the idealistic youth and the silent majority to be our eyes and ears in stopping corrupt practices. The Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) must receive reports and follow these through until the perpetrators are put behind bars. I have doubled the budget of the PAGC so that it can put up an investigative unit to undertake intensive lifestyle checks on public officials. This will link the government and the people in the anti-corruption thrust.

Lawyers must volunteer their services to the Ombudsman and the Department of Justice to help to expose fraud and prosecute errant public servants. Congress must pass the Bill letting the Ombudsman get the help of private lawyers for free. We must recruit 50 lawyers for its investigation and prosecution work.

We will abolish the bonded trading warehouse system. Crackdowns have resulted in the closure of more than 300 customs-bonded warehouses that have become notorious for smuggling.

In due time you will see more results; I have launched the anti-corruption campaign to raise the moral standards in politics and the economy. Corruption is the worst enemy of progress and social justice because it robs the state of the resources to prosecute the war against poverty.