Billions wasted/stolen

The Office of the Ombudsman has figures to show how much of the national budget is lost to corruption yearly.

In a talk before the National Police Commission’s summit on crime prevention last week, Deputy Ombudsman Cyril Ramos churned out the numbers which should have jolted his audience.

And we can be sure it did.

Because P700 billion in our yearly budget, according to Ramos, gets into the pockets of corrupt government officials.

That is too much money to wrap the Earth with if we are to paste it with hundred-peso bills. That is staggering. No, that is revolting!

But we seem to take this figure lightly that we keep on electing officials we suspect or have known to have accumulated wealth while in public office.

We patronize political dynasties which stretch and pad their fortunes by cornering the most important positions in their localities, and with hopes of someday being able to plant a seed in Malacañang.

Yet we complain about being served poorly, because we are.

That amount lost yearly is around 20 percent of the country’s total budget appropriation. That’s too much.

Those who dip their hands in the public coffers deserve public stoning, their bodies buried neckdeep in sand, under the scorching noon sun. Yes, feed ’em to ants.

Yes, corrupt government officials deserve a painful death, and no less than that.

Ramos reiterated the Philippines’ ranking among the most corrupt countries in the Asia Pacific at sixth. I tried to check Ramos’ source for this figure, but I could not get one as of this post.

The World Population Review listed Somalia, South Sudan, Syria, Afghanistan, Yemen, Sudan, Libya, North Korea, Venezuela, Iraq, Turkmenistan, Angola, Eritrea, Chad, Tajikistan, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cambodia, Zimbabwe and Haiti as tops in that hall of shame.

Most of these countries are wracked by conflicts and are ruled by strongmen. The democratic institutions in these countries are nearly or totally non-existent.

UN Secretary General António Guterres, in one statement, said corruption costs at least $2.6 trillion a year, equivalent to five percent of global GDP (gross domestic product).

He also cited figures from the World Bank which show that businesses and individuals pay

“Calculations showed it can provide seven million Filipinos with medical assistance.

more than $1 trillion in bribes every year. Wow, that much!

But the Philippines? There is a high perception of corruption here no doubt.

This, despite Transparency International reporting last January that the Philippines has improved the most across the Asia-Pacific region, moving up 12 spots to 99th position in the 2018 Corruption Perceptions Index.

Of the P700 billion lost yearly, Ramos said the amount could buy 1.4 million housing for the poor.

Also, he said calculations showed it can provide seven million Filipinos with medical assistance. The amount can also be used for a year’s worth of rice buffer stock.

Who would go hungry with that amount? None, he said.

Also last week, the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) revealed that it has started probing two members of President Rodrigo Duterte’s Cabinet. It did not name the Cabinet members, but if there is a reason to investigate the closest members of his officialdom, then the issue of corruption permeates even up there.

The PACC also revealed that 15 Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office officials, including former general manager Alexander Balutan, are also being investigated.

And then, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation corruption issue. Former partylist Rep. Harry Roque, saying corruption in the agency is incurable, reiterated his call for its abolition.

But these only scratched the surface. Mr. Duterte admitted he can only do so much.

With three years more left in his term, maybe he can focus on these and maybe start with his two Cabinet men.

“Because P700 billion in our yearly budget, according to Ramos, gets into the pockets of corrupt government officials.