By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Saturday vowed zero tolerance for corruption, saying his administration is committed to reducing the number of government workers involved in irregular practices.
In a media interview in Busan, South Korea after the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit ended, Marcos admitted that corruption in government remains “a problem that exists in every large bureaucracy.”
“It’s something that you will never be able to say that we have removed corruption. There will always be some who try to cheat the system. No matter what you do, they will find a way to deceive the government,” he said.
Marcos said the government would ensure that it would be “harder” for officials and employees to engage in corruption.
“But if the system is in place, you make it harder and harder for those people to steal. The harder it becomes, the smaller the number of people still operating under corrupt practices. So, it’s an ongoing thing. It’s not something that you can solve with one fell swoop,” he added.
One of the initiatives undertaken by the government, he said, is the reduction of project costs at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) following revelations of overpriced construction materials.
Marcos said the move is intended to reduce red tape, adding that DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon is “working very hard” to generate savings and ensure that the agency’s expenditures are efficient and have a good multiplier effect.
“We talked about the reduction in the prices of materials for DPWH. We’re also, at the same time, trying to find savings in that,” he said.
Marcos expressed optimism that Congress will ensure the proposed 2026 national budget is “good [and] clean.” (PNA)