The head of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) on October 20 underscored the need to files cases against public officials who are involved in corruption, which may prevent future anomalies.
PCCI president Enunina Mangio told the media on the sidelines of the Philippine Business Conference and Expo in Pasay City that while business groups have known about the corruption in government, “we didn’t know that it is this magnitude, this extreme. We didn’t know that a lot of people are involved.”
“We all know very well that even our President is very concerned of this corruption that has been exposed,” she said. “And we in PCCI are very strongly against this and trying to find ways and means to encourage our President to address it immediately, to give us a result of all the investigations that are being done. So, we hope our President will listen to us and work with us.”
Mangio added that she believes President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s resolve to fight corruption in the government.
To recall, PCCI and some 30 business groups issued a statement calling on the President to give the Independent Commission for Infrastructure (ICI) legal power to prosecute individuals involved in alleged anomalous flood control projects.
“To prosecute and to really define or identify those that are really guilty. And we in the business sector are looking forward to the day when our President will be able to really give us the result that we are expecting. Prosecute those who are really involved in this corruption, whatever position they are holding in the country,” Mangio said.
“This is actually calling the attention of our President to really address our concern as far as the corruption that were discovered. Because we feel that the people (want), we want to make sure that before an aggressive action would take place, PCCI or these organizations will be able to convince our President to take action. (To have) decisive action to address these corruption problems,” she said.
At the same time, Mangio said PCCI is working with the Anti-Red Tape Authority to help ensure the implementation of the law on ease of doing business so they can lure more foreign investors.
“We are positive that as we go along, we will improve and we will implement it properly because ease of doing business is one of the key factors for the foreign investors to really consider our country for their investment,” she said.
PNA PHOTO