Press Release
December 15, 2007

QUESTION ON GLORIA CORRUPTION
WAS 'UNFAIR', SAYS SEN. GORDON

Senator Richard Gordon said yesterday that the survey by Pulse Asia showing that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is the "most corrupt" among the Philippine presidents since Ferdinand Marcos was based merely on "perception" and did not necessarily reflect the truth.

In a radio interview, Gordon said the question posed by the survey was not a "fair question". "I am not trying to defend her but I think it is not a fair question," said Gordon in Tagalog. "But what was the basis for saying that she is most corrupt?"

"If they refer to Marcos, there is proof. In the case of President Estrada, there is proof, di ba? Para bang halimbawa, sino ang malakas? Sasabihin nila malakas si Sen. Loren, malakas si Sen. Manny Villar, malakas si Chiz Escudero at Lacson, bakit? Katatapos lang ng kampanya so sila ang malakas. Sila ang now showing. Pero ano ang basehan para sabihin yan?"

Gordon said the perception that President Arroyo is the "most corrupt" is because she is now the incumbent ["now showing"]. Should there be another president when another survey is conducted, he or she would also be perceived as the most corrupt, especially if the people learn that they have "unexplained wealth" and that they have acquired properties and houses. "Yan fair na yun (now that is fair.")

Asked who in his opinion was the most corrupt, Gordon answered, "Marcos is good in the beginning but in the end nag-collapse siya. Si Erap, he lost himself. Nawala siya. Lahat yan may issue. Di ba si Carlos Garcia inimbestigahan siya doon sa textile, kunting na siyang ma-expel sa Senado. Tapos na maging president siya ang kapatid niya naman ang sinasabing corrupt. Sa atin kase, ang Filipino kapag hindi happy, ang sinasabi nila kaagad may corrupt, and to me, yan ang mali sa ating society. We fix the blame but we don't fix the problem.

To the reporter's remark that perhaps the reason the people perceived GMA to be corrupt was because of the many issues against her, Gordon answered, "Kaya nga, kung marami kang sine ay magna-number one ka. Kung ang sine mo ay palaging tagaptanggol ng mahirap eh di lalabas na number one ka di ba katulad ni FPJ at Erap. Ganoon din yan, kung araw-araw binabanatan mo yan, binibira mo sila araw-araw, ang perception d'yan 'o yan sa ZTE, scam ditto, scam doon'. Kaya pag tinanong mo corrupt ba ang gobierno natin? Lahat yan, ang sasabihin corrupt."

Asked if the opposition was behind the "unfair" survey, Gordon replied, "I think it is an unfair question to anybody. Pag sinabi mo corrupt ba ang senado, may magsasabi d'yan na corrupt ang Senado. Kapag sinabi mong corrupt ba ang mayor? Ang sasabinhin ay corrupt yan."

Asked what should have been the proper question, Gordon answered, "Pwedeng sabihin na 'sa tingin ninyo ba ay may basihan na sabihin corrupt ang gobyerno? parang ganoon (What can be asked is, 'in your opinion are there grounds for saying that the government is corrupt,' something like that),"

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