THE Marcos administration’s fight against corruption, particularly in public works, is more serious and extensive than that of the previous administration, according to a legal professor and activist.
‘If you look at it now in the Marcos time, tingin ko mas serious iyong accountability, mas serious ang transparency kasi mas marami siyang napakulong, whether kaibigan niya or kamag-anak,’ lawyer Howard Calleja said in a recent television interview.
Calleja said corruption was also uncovered in the Department of Public Works and Highways during the time of former President Rodrigo Duterte but nothing was done about it.
‘So I think we have to look at the records, what happened during those six years of Duterte? Hindi ba dineclare na nga niya na maraming corruption sa DPWH, maraming corruption sa Customs, etc, pero may napakulong ba sila at that time?’ Calleja said.
In contrast, President Marcos himself exposed the corruption in flood-control projects and ordered a deep and thorough investigation leading to the filing of charges against several contractors and government officials, including the former Speaker.
Calleja also noted that then-Ombudsman Samuel Martirez, a Duterte appointee, even prevented access to statements of assets and liabilities (SALN) of top government officials.
He recalled that while Duterte ordered lifestyle checks on government officials, Martirez declared: ‘The SALN is just a paper. Hindi ko nga ilalabas iyan.’
‘So ang tanong din during the time of Ombudsman Martirez, may nagawa ba? May nakulong ba? Mayroong nakulong noong panahon ni P-noy [former President Benigno Aquino], pinakawalan pa nila,’ Calleja added.