Marcos pushes for creation of pro-active hotline and website to fight corruption

SENATOR Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. today said the next administration must consider establishing a more interactive and pro-active anti-corruption drive to help address the worsening corruption in government.

Marcos said that in the first one hundred days of the next administration, an anti-corruption hotline and website should be established to empower the people to report any wrongdoing in government.

"It will be like a Sumbungang ng Bayan. This should be established nationwide where graft and corruption at all levels of government will be reported by our citizens just by using the hotline and/or website and will be treated with utmost confidentiality," he said.

Marcos said the people's participation is pivotal in the campaign against graft and corruption.

He added the system should be pro-active by making sure all reported cases of graft and corruption in the hotline and website are referred and followed up until a definite action or finding is taken by the concerned government agency.

He said guarding the government coffers and close monitoring of the utilization of public funds should not be exclusively tasked or relegated to agencies like the Commission on Audit and Office of the Ombdusman.

He said because of the huge bureaucracy, the people's participation is necessary in monitoring and reporting corruptions that are happening in units, offices, bureaus, departments, and agencies of the government.

"More than officials of the government themselves, it's the people who abhor mismanagement of public funds. I believe that given the chance, the people will be vigilant and brave enough to fight graft and corruption," Marcos said.