By Jason Mago
Copyright tribune
Major business and labor organizations demanded urgent and uncompromising action against those implicated in the alleged multi-billion peso corruption involving flood control projects, warning that the scandal undermines investor confidence, economic growth, and public trust in government institutions.In a joint statement, the Leaders Forum — composed of the Employers Confederation of the Philippines, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc., Federation of Free Workers, Sentro ng mga Nagkakaisa at Progresibong Manggagawa and the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines — said accountability must be enforced at all levels.Held liable if found guiltyThey stressed that politicians and legislators in Congress, contractors and public officials in the Executive Department — particularly the Department of Public Works and Highways, local government units, and the Commission on Audit — must be held liable if proven guilty.“Justice must be served, swiftly and without political interference,” the groups said, as they backed the issuance of an executive order creating an independent, non-partisan investigative body composed of members of civil society, the legal profession, auditing institutions, and anti-corruption organizations.Erosion of country’s competitivenessThe Leaders Forum underscored that corruption erodes the country’s competitiveness by weakening infrastructure spending efficiency and discouraging domestic and foreign investments.“We are outraged that resources meant to protect communities from deadly floods may have been stolen or misused. This is not just theft, it is a betrayal of public trust, a threat to lives, and a direct assault on the nation’s development,” the statement read.The groups warned that mismanagement of public funds diverts resources from critical economic and social programs.“Every peso lost to corruption is a peso taken from the Filipino people, from families in danger, from crumbling infrastructure, and from vital public services. This must stop,” they said.The Leaders Forum vowed to sustain pressure for systemic reforms, noting that corruption in major infrastructure projects not only costs lives but also undermines the Philippines’ long-term growth prospects.“Corruption has no place in our institutions. The people deserve justice. The people deserve better,” they added.
