Former President Benigno Aquino III’s famous quote and campaign slogan – that there will be no poor Filipinos if corruption is eradicated – is more important than ever as a moral compass for the Liberal Party (LP).
LP President Erin Tañada on Friday recalled the former chief executive’s slogan at a fellowship with a theme ‘Kung Walang Korap, Walang Mahirap’ (if there’s no corrupt, no one is poor) – which is an ode to Aquino’s anti-corruption maxim.
Tañada said the corruption scandals that have rocked the country only signal the need for liberals to show that the LP is ready for nation-building and the pursuit of transparency.
‘Every volunteer, every organizer, every young Liberal who takes the oath today joins a tradition that has defended democracy through the darkest of times [.],’ he said.
‘Let our voices reach communities tired of deceit and disillusionment. Let them see that the Liberal Party stands ready once more, united and prepared for the hard work of nation-building,’ he told the members.
”Kung Walang Korap, Walang Mahirap’ remains our compass. It points us toward integrity, transparency and genuine service. It reminds us that the path to progress begins with honesty and ends with dignity,’ he added.
According to Tañada, the fellowship, which coincides with the oath-taking of over 200 new LP members, is a chance to ‘renew’ the discipline that Aquino’s words and vision for governance instilled.
‘Fourteen years ago, President Noynoy Aquino spoke words that carried the promise of a different kind of politics: ‘Kung walang korap, walang mahirap.’ Those words shaped a generation,’ he said.
‘They reminded us that clean governance is not a dream but a discipline, a daily struggle that demands honesty, courage and love of country,’ he added.
LP has seen several setbacks since Aquino III stepped down from office in June 2016.
While former Vice President Leni Robredo, along with several other members of the LP senatorial slate won in the 2016 national elections, the party suffered a mass exodus after most officials jumped to PDP-Laban, the party of Aquino’s successor, former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Then in 2019, none of the eight senatorial candidates from the Otso Diretso slate – a coalition where LP is part of after fielding four of the eight bets – made it to the Magic 12.
LP suffered another crushing defeat in 2022 as Robredo and former Senator Francis Pangilinan’s tandem lost in the presidential and vice presidential race, with only three senatorial candidates of the slate winning.
However, there are bright spots for LP after 2022: Aquino’s cousin, Senator Bam Aquino, ranked second during the senatorial race for the 2025 midterm polls, while LP chairperson and Senator Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan got the fifth slot – despite both not ranking high in pre-election surveys.
Aquino’s former Justice secretary Leila de Lima also won in the recent elections, getting a seat as Mamamayang Liberal party-list’s representative.
Akbayan party-list, considered an LP ally, also won three seats in the party-list race, paving the way for Robredo ally and human rights lawyer Chel Diokno to enter the 20th Congress.
Calls for greater transparency and the publication of SALNs came after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in late August 2025 gave the directive to do a lifestyle check – starting with officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) who are currently on the hot seat due to the issue of anomalous flood control projects.
Palace press officer and Undersecretary Claire Castro said Marcos’ directive covers the entire executive department, beginning with the DPWH, the agency that implements and oversees the multibillion-peso projects he wanted investigated for alleged irregularities. But Malacañang also asked other agencies, particularly the Office of the Ombudsman, the Commission on Audit, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, and the Bureau of Customs, as well as local government units, to conduct parallel checks.