Press Release
April 29, 2016

MIRIAM HITS LACK OF POLITICAL WILL VS. CORRUPTION

Presidential candidate Miriam Defensor Santiago on Friday claimed that the government has yet to win the fight against corruption because it lacks the political will to implement necessary reforms.

Speaking before some 3,000 supporters at the University of Negros Occidental - Recoletos in Bacolod City, Santiago lamented that the anti-corruption bills she filed at the Senate languished absent support from the administration.

"It does not take a genius to solve corruption. Laudable remedies have time and again been proposed. In fact, several measures aimed at curbing corruption are now pending in Congress," the senator said.

The corruption-curbing measures Santiago authored or supported in Congress include the Freedom of Information Bill, the Anti-Political Dynasty Bill, the Anti-Epal Bill, and the Anti-Political Recommendations Bill.

She also emphasized the need for an anti-premature campaigning law to level the playing field during the elections. Santiago authored two bills against premature campaigning in the Senate, but both measures did not hurdle the committee level.

"Other candidates spend billions in their campaigns. Where do they get the money? From businessmen, who want to control the politicians whose candidacies they bankrolled," the senator said.

Santiago also repeated her criticism of commercial survey firms, which she said are being used to condition the minds of Filipino voters. She vowed to launch an investigation against pollsters if elected.

The senator previously questioned the results of surveys by the two most popular firms, noting that they do not reflect the results of non-commercial surveys and mock polls in universities.

Santiago recently ranked a close second in an opinion poll conducted by the Catholic Church-run media outfit Veritas. She has also consistently topped mock polls and surveys conducted in the following campuses:

  • De La Salle University Manila;

  • Polytechnic University of the Philippines;

  • University of the Philippines (U.P.) Los Baños;

  • University of Santo Tomas;

  • Ateneo De Manila University;

  • U.P. Manila;

  • University of Northern Philippines;

  • Malayan Colleges Laguna;

  • Colegio de San Juan de Letran;

  • U.P. Diliman;

  • U.P. Baguio;

  • Holy Angel Universit;

  • University of Asia and the Pacifi;

  • Adamson University;

  • Ateneo de Naga University;

  • U.P. Baguio;

  • Philippine Normal University;

  • West Visayas State University;

  • Central Philippine University; and

  • Miriam College.

Santiago earlier reiterated that she will keep fighting, despite pressure to for her to withdraw from camps of other presidential candidates. Her rivals allegedly offered to reimburse her by up to P300 million in campaign expenses.

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