Joint Statement

May 30, 2012

Challenge Aquino and other officials to ‘walk the talk’ on corruption

Today, we, the members of the Makabayan partylist bloc in Congress, responding to the challenge for greater transparency and accountabiliity in government brought about in part by the Corona impeachment trial, are signing unconditional waivers allowing the Ombudsman to look into our assets and bank accounts for the purpose of investigating any report or complaint against us for graft and corruption.

As signatories to the Corona impeachment complaint and representatives of the marginalized and underrepresented sectors in Congress, we feel it is our duty and moral obligation to set an example in complying with the Constitutional mandate on public office as a public trust.

We challenge our fellow officials in government, starting with the President and his Cabinet, our colleagues in the House and the Senate, to do no less. Kapansin-pansin na hindi pa pumipirma ng waiver si Pres. Aquino at kanyang mga gabinete sa kabila ng malakas na panawagan ng taumbayan para dito. Dapat magpamalas ng halimbawa ang Pangulo at kanyang gabinete. Sign the waiver now.

We likewise demand that President Aquino apply the same zeal he had in going after Corona in pursuing plunder, ill-gotten wealth and other cases of graft and corruption and human rights violations against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her conspirators. The impeachment of Corona is proof that all it takes is political will to clean up government.

What is unfortunate is that the President has shown a reluctance to pursue such cases against the former president and has to be forced by circumstances and other parties to take definitive action. Note, for example, the haphazard and last-minute filing of the electoral sabotage case against Mrs. Arroyo. There is no lack of cases that can be filed against the former president if Aquino is only willing to do it.

We reiterate that the same standards of transparency and accountability and the same dogged zeal to weed out grafters witnessed in the Corona impeachment should be applied to all agencies of government.

Makabayan is a political coalition that is presently comprised of eight Philippine progressive parties: Bayan Muna, Anakpawis, Gabriela, Kabataan and ACT Teachers partylist. #