The 1986 EDSA People Power Revolution may have failed to totally eradicate corruption in government, but two presidential candidates in the upcoming May 2022 polls offer hope for good governance that the country deserves.

Former ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio and former Kabataan Party-list Rep. Terry Riddon noted that Vice President Leni Robredo and Senator Manny Pacquiao have made vows to cleanse government of dishonest and corrupt officials. They believe that the two are capable of delivering on this pledge.

Tinio said Robredo’s track record as a public official provides the evidence that she could do just that.

“Pero ang hamon ko sa kanila ay baguhin nila ang sistema ng patronage politics (But my challenge to them is to change the system of patronage politics),” Tinio said during the Kapihan sa Annabels Forum on Saturday, Feb. 26.

Ridon, on the other hand, cited Pacquiao's sincerity and genuine concern for the poor as among the main reasons why the senator chould be relied upon in ensuring good governance.

He noted that among the presidential hopefuls, former senator Bongbong Marcos is the only one who had been convicted of tax evasion and has faced cases involving payment of taxes.

In the same news forum, Ferdie Salazar of the youth group Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan (SPARK) challenged the Supreme Court (SC) and the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to immediately resolve cases involving officials of the Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corporation.

Salazar said the High Court should look into the case of a Regional Trial Court (RTC) judge who issued a court order that may have violated the constitutionally-guaranteed policy on separation of powers.

He said the Comelec should also immediately resolve the disqualification case filed against Pharmally Biiologicals Incorporated treasurer Rose Nono Lin, who is seeking a congressional seat in Quezon City’s 5th district.

Earlier, SPARK filed before the Office of the Ombudsman a complaint for violation of the anti-graft law against Lin and nine other individuals who have been previously implicated by the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee in the anomalous Department of Health/Procurement Service/Department of Budget and Management (DOH/PS-DBM) procurement of over P42 billion worth of anti-coronavirus disease (COVID-19) supplies.

The activist youth organization demanded in their complaint that criminal charges be filed against the individuals involved.

“The facts are simple: the Filipino people were swindled out of billions, in a time when even our next meal is uncertain,” John Lazaro, SPARK spokesperson, said in a statement.

Lazaro said the complaint is based on the testimonies and admissions during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings, which tackled the P8-billion worth of contracts that the government awarded to Pharmally, an undercapitalized corporation that had no previous track record in government procurement.

“Because of this conspiracy by public and private respondents to defraud the government, the government has overspent at least P300 million in public funds because PS-DBM disqualified other suppliers who had submitted a bid only 17 minutes too late.

“Aside from the already established lack of track record and financial capacity of Pharmally, the company was allowed to deliver supplies to PS-DBM even without purchase orders. This is evidence number one of unwarranted preference,” the SPARK spokesman stated.