Vice presidential bets suggest ways to combat corruption

Seven of the nine vice presidential candidates on Sunday presented plans on how to fight corruption in government, ranging from increasing transparency to modernizing the judiciary.

Manny Lopez believes that the courts, the media, and the general public can all help to prevent corruption.

Lopez, however, is opposed to the idea of establishing a single anti-corruption body.

"For one thing, it is an appointed official. So how can they possibly go against the president who would appoint them, or the backers who would push for their appointment?" he asked during the vice presidential debate organized by the Commission on Elections.

Carlos Serapio said the proposal "has to be contextualized in our need for a total constitutional change."

"However, until and unless we are also able to change the power structure, meaning the monopoly of economic power and political power, then we will not really be able to address this comprehensively and we cannot continue to provide band-aid solutions. We need to address this in totality," he said.

Vicente Sotto III added that the government is "too large" for a single body to handle.

"A singular body to address the corruption? The government is too large for a single body. What we need is internal cleansing, we must lead by example," he said.

To address corruption, Sotto underscored the importance of internal cleansing, leadership by example, digitalization of the government process, and the proper implementation of Ease of Doing Business Act.

"Although, [the Commission on Audit] right now and Ombudsman (Samuel ) Martires, they are doing a good job, I must say, but then again, if we don't digitalize, if there is no internal cleansing, eh tagilid (it will be difficult)," he said.

Willie Ong also said he would push for transparency and digitalization, particularly in the Bureau of Customs, the Bureau of the Internal Revenue, and the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, to address corruption.

Ong also stressed the importance of press freedom.

"Kasi kung may press freedom, may check and balance," he said.

(If there is press freedom, there is a check and balance system in place.)

For Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan, the judiciary is in the best position to function as an anti-corruption agency, so its budget should be increased. 

"The anti-corruption agency should be the judiciary kasi sila ang nagpaparusa sa nagkakasala," he said.

(Because the judiciary is in charge of punishing the guilty, the anti-corruption agency should be the judiciary.)

"We must modernize the judiciary so that anti-corruption efforts will be meaningful," he added.

Rizalito David advocated for moral change, claiming that harsher penalties do not necessarily discourage corruption.

“Kahit na gawin mo pang napakasevere ng mga penalties na mahuhuli wala pa rin yon magpapatuloy pa rin ang korapsyon hangga't hindi natin nalilinis ang ating mga puso at nabibigyan natin ng tunay na pagmamahal ang ating mga kapwa,” he said.

(Even if severe penalties are imposed, corruption will persist as long as we do not purify our hearts and show genuine love to our neighbors.)

Walden Bello, meanwhile, urged presidential candidate Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. to settle the unpaid estate taxes of his family, which are estimated to be worth P203 billion.

"You owe it to the Filipino people. Give it back," Bello said.

Sara Duterte, Marcos' running mate, skipped the debate. —Jamil Santos, Joviland Rita, Hana Bordey, Llanesca Panti, Richa Noriega, and Joahna Lei Casilao/VBL, GMA News