Press Release
February 28, 2009

US REPORT ON CORRUPTION
Chiz dares GMA, Ombudsman to nail one corrupt official per region

Opposition Senator Francis "Chiz" Escudero on Saturday dared President Arroyo and Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to prosecute and jail at least one corrupt public official per region in the state-wide machinery to show the administration's sincerity in its avowed anti-corruption campaign.

Escudero issued the statement in response to the recent report of the US State Department describing in detail the rampant corruption in the Philippines.

"I call on GMA and the Ombudsman to suspend and send to jail, respectively, at least one corrupt official per region, the most corrupt and seemingly untouchable, if not per province, to show their seriousness in curbing corruption and send a strong and chilling signal to those who dare to steal the people's money," Escudero said.

According to the report entitled "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices in 2008" released by the US government, the Arroyo government is to be blamed on the pervasive corruption in the country due to its failure to enforce laws penalizing crooked officials and withholding information on questionable transactions.

Escudero, chairman of the Senate Committee on Justice and Human Rights, said the allegations of rampant corruption is nothing new, as the opposition has always maintained that the present administration has a lot of shaping up to do when it comes to corruption.

"We in the opposition have been saying that all along. This is yet another confirmation of that but this time from a foreign government. This shows that perhaps (US President Barack) Obama indeed alluded to GMA in his inaugural speech referring to those 'on the wrong side of history,'" the senator said.

He also reiterated his demand for an inventory of the cases filed and being investigated by the Ombudsman.

"We need to know what Ombudsman Gutierrez is doing to curb corruption in the country. We need to know what cases are pending and why they remain unacted upon," Escudero said.

He explained that under the Republic Act 6670, or the Ombudsman Act of 1989, the Ombudsman is mandated to act on complaints filed in any form or manner against officers or employees of the government.

"In this case, the Ombudsman should be swamped with complaints. But I don't hear the supposed anti-graft body making headway in its mandate to fight corruption," Escudero said.

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