White-collar thieves among government officials will be flushed out from their offices and will go to jail for ravaging taxpayers’ money, Partido Reporma chairman and standard bearer Panfilo “Ping” Lacson has vowed.
Interviewed on Monday, Jan. 24 by popular television host Boy Abunda, Lacson said the same warning goes to some of the biggest names in the world of politics regardless of their party alliances to prove he is serious about implementing a single standard policy against corruption.
“Sisimulan ko ‘yan doon sa alam kong walang magrereklamo; walang magku-kuwestiyon... ‘Yung walang ibabalik sa akin na pulitika ‘yan. Sisimulan ko ‘yan sa alam kong talamak na kilalang-kilalang magnanakaw—‘yan ang sampol muna. Ke kapartido mo, ke hindi, ‘yan ang unahin mo and see its logical conclusion. I am going to start with someone who I know no one will complain about, no one will question... No one will reason with me that it’s politically motivated. I will begin with someone who everybody knows is a hardcore thief—that will be my first example. Whether you belong to the same party or not, you start with that and see its logical conclusion.),” said Lacson who was given ten minutes to explain his good governance plans for the presidency.
Lacson recalled that his strong anti-corruption stance never waned since he started in government service as a lieutenant in the police service.
As chief of Philippine National Police, Lacson was able to put an end to the careers of so-called “kotong cops” even as he led by example.
Lacson is confident he can deliver on this promise because he said he already did it with the Philippine National Police (PNP) when he got rid of the rogue cops, who got involved in serious illegal activities. His principle of ‘leadership by example’ enabled the entire PNP to turn its bad reputation around.
“Ginawa ko sa PNP ‘yan, Boy. Ganyan ang ginawa ko e. Ilan ‘yung napa-dismiss ko? Four months lang na-correct ko ‘yung PNP e. Kasi tinanong din ako ng media noon sa Crame ‘nung nag-assume ako: ‘General, ano ang nakita niyong pinakamalaking problema ng PNP?’ Ang bilis ng sagot ko, Boy, PNP. (I have done this for the PNP, Boy. It is what I did. How many erring officials did I dismiss? Within four months, I managed to correct (what was wrong with) the PNP. Because I was also asked by the media back in the day when I assumed (as PNP Chief): ‘General, what do you think is the biggest problem of the PNP?’ My answer was quick, Boy, PNP.),” he said.
Lacson said his grit to put plunderers behind bars was fueled by what happened to Lolo Narding Flores, who stole mangoes but was immediately sent to jail, whereas those who are committing large-scale theft involving public funds get to enjoy VIP treatment to the extent of having police escorts.
“Alam mo (You know), the ordinary thieves, they get the whip surely and fast. Pero ‘yung mga (But these) big-time thieves—ito ‘yung (these are the) big and powerful—they stay big, they stay powerful,” noted Lacson, promising to turn this particular kind of social injustice upside down. The presidential aspirant vowed to gather solid evidence against these corrupt and greedy government officials that he has in mind, so his administration could build the strongest case yet to prosecute them, subject to our judicial processes.
Lacson said he is going to build that case in a very thorough manner that even incumbent officials in the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government would not be able to conspire with each other and unduly influence its development within the legal system.
This plan is part of his pledge to conduct a massive internal cleansing of the bureaucracy to achieve his goal of fixing the ills of government from the inside. He also wants it sustained so he can deliver public services in the best and most efficient way possible beyond his administration.