Tabuk City, Kalinga – The four candidates vying for the City Vice Mayor position in Tabuk have expressed their stand on corruption, one of the common discussions this election period during the Voter's Education and Media Forum on April 6, 2022.
Guru Press Cordillera asked the four candidates the same question they asked the two mayoral candidates on April 5, ‘Do you think corruption is a problem in Tabuk City? How do we solve it?’
The four agreed that there is corruption happening in the government.
‘Money is the root of all evil’ - Ottao
Gladelina Ottao underscored that corruption is happening all over the world, as money is the root of evil.
“All over the world, there are corruptions. All over the world, there are corruptions … because money, money is the root of all evil. Money is the root of evil… There’s already corruption, even in families, there’s already corruption,” she stressed.
She also put emphasis on her principle, which is ‘justice prevails, no justice denied.’ She explained that corrupt officials should face penalties and imprisonment.
“What is the rule of law, rule of law, you have to follow,” she conveyed.
‘Adda ti corruption even in the smallest things’ – Atty. Wacnang
Attorney Zorayda Wacnang mentioned that there is corruption even in the smallest things, citing that corruption is not only limited to bribery, kickback, or SOP but rather it also covers those who take resources from the government.
“Let’s be truthful, talaga met nga adda corruption not only in our city but in the nation as a whole. Makita tayo, the national level, adda ti corruption,” she said.
The answer to corruption, she said, is transparency. She mentioned that she authored the Freedom of Information Ordinance which has already been approved.
“Transparency gamin it creates trust between the government and the citizens. Nu transparent iti maysa nga LGU, open book – amin a kontrata, amin a transactions iti government, amin a budget nu napanan na iti budget maiparang. If citizens or nu dagitoy kakailyan ket kayat da iti mang-ala iti any documents or any public information or public documents, iparang mo dayta. Diay iti kasasapulan tayo in order for us not to be ridden by corruption,” she said.
Wacnang also cited that being an open book also will prevent doubt from the people that create distrust in the government.
‘We need to build up the moral fiber of our leadership’ – Atty. Bal-o
Attorney Dick Bal-o also agreed that corruption is an issue in every place saying, “I think there are cases a talaga nga issue iti corruption. But we need to build up the moral fiber of our leadership.”
He relayed that he had authored the celebration of the Bible Week every last week of January of every year in 2007.
“Kasi mamati ni Attoryney Bal-o gamin a nu na-Diyos an ken makatao iti serbisyo iti gobyerno, maysa dayta a sistema tapnu ma-avoidaran tayo dayta issue iti graft and corruption,” he said.
Bal-o conveyed that those who violate the anti-graft and corruption should be charged and that the concerned non-government organizations and taxpayers should be the ones to file.
“Daytoy kuma gamin iti rumwaran dagitoy NGO particularly dagitoy religious sector to really check and to really monitor dagitoy trabaho dagitoy opisyales ta isuda kuma iti mangisuro ken mangiyurnos wennu mangi-file iti cases. Dagiay tax payers, mabalin met nga ag-file iti tax payer not necessarily ti pultiko kontra pulitiko,” he expressed.
‘Ti corruption sipud pay idi inggana tatta,’ – Atty. Tubban
Attorney Henry Tubban Jr. mentioned that corruption is one of the biggest problems in the government and it has been present since time immemorial.
“Corruption is one of the biggest problems ditoy gobyerno tayo. Ammu tayo dayta, haan tayo mailibak. Ket siyak maysa ak met nga abogado ket narigat a haan tayo nga ibaga nga awan iti corruption wennu kwa, adda apo iti corruption,” he said.
The solution to this, he said, is transparency in order for the people to know what is happening in the local government. He added that while there is already the 8888 hotline of the national government, he will be making a policy to protect those who are reporting anomalies.
Corruption, Tubban said, is a ‘stumbling block’ of the government which is why when elected as the vice mayor, he noted that it is one of the things he will be closely looking at.
“Uray nu anya iti ayat ta a tumulong para iti development nu adda dagiti sumagmamano a ti kapanunutan da ket ag-corrupt ay ket talaga a. Isu a rest assured met a kanyak a dagita met iti banbantayan tayo ta maysa tayo met nga abogado, isu met dayta iti preventaran tayo diay corruption ta ammuk nga adda ti linteg na dayta, ikkan tayo iti napigpigsa ken natangtangken a ngipen dayta anti-graft and corruption law,” he said.
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