A Mindanao-based lawyers’ group is calling for transparency and justice in what it describes as “massive and widespread corruption” in the government.
In an emailed statement, the Union of Peoples’ Lawyers in Mindanao (UPLM) urged investigative bodies to hold all those responsible accountable.
The UPLM said that alleged fictitious, overpriced, or non-existent projects are not isolated cases but are part of a system where “public office is exploited for private gain.”
“The corruption that robs our people of life-saving infrastructure in the name of ‘flood control’ is no different from the abuse of confidential and intelligence funds,” said Atty. Arvin Dexter M. Lopoz, UPLM’s public information officer and spokesperson.
Lopoz added: “Both are crimes against the Filipino people, draining public resources meant for safety and survival.”
The group said that “corruption kills” and that funds meant for flood protection have cost lives. It said that this system “drowns millions of our people in abject poverty” while enriching corrupt officials.
The UPLM called for accountability to be applied to “the Discayas, the Romualdezes, the Cos, the Estradas, the Villanuevas, the Dutertes, the Marcoses, and all others proven to have fueled and benefited from this system of corruption.”
“Corruption thrives where impunity persists. It is no accident that corruption permeates under administrations, then and now, that have treated transparency as a nuisance and weaponized the law to enable crimes and impunity,” said Atty. Antonio C. Azarcon, UPLM chairman.
The group urged the Commission on Audit, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Department of Justice to conduct “thorough, transparent, and impartial investigations” into the allegations.
“The Filipino people deserve nothing less. Their survival depends on it,” Lopoz said.
