senseneres: FULLY SUPPORTING THE STATEMENT OF THE Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands ON CORRUPTION

FULLY SUPPORTING THE STATEMENT OF THE Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands ON CORRUPTION

I wholeheartedly echo the call issued by the Chamber of Commerce of the Philippine Islands (CCPI), together with 29 other business and civic organizations, in their statement on corruption. They described rampant graft as “shameful, unabated, continuing and excessive” — especially within the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), local government units (LGUs) and the Commission on Audit (COA).

As a member of the business community – and as a citizen – I fully support their bold language and strong demands. They called on officials to stop, with the plea: “PLEASE STOP! MAAWA NAMAN KAYO SA MGA NAGHIHIRAP NA TAONG BAYAN”.

Here’s why this matters to me – and must matter to all of us.

Why this statement matters

Leadership from business and civil society: CCPI is among the oldest and most respected business institutions in the Philippines. Their participation sends a signal: business will not tolerate the status-quo of impunity.
Clear focus on public-works and governance: The focus of concern is not vague. The statement names DPWH, LGUs and COA as key arenas of concern.
Concrete demands: They demand an independent body to investigate and prosecute corrupt officials, recover stolen public funds and restore public trust.
Moral framing: This is framed not just as mis-governance, but as a crime against the poor. Which makes it not only a business concern but a national justice concern.

My call to other organizations

To other business associations, chambers, civil-society networks, universities, faith-based groups: I urge you to publicly support the CCPI’s statement. Corruption of this scale undermines not just governance—but investment, growth, innovation, fairness. Recent surveys show CEOs remain optimistic about the economy but “wary of corruption”.

By joining this call, you affirm: business doesn’t simply adjust to corruption, it rejects it. Citizens don’t simply endure it, they challenge it.

Suggestions on how we could defeat this problem

Below are suggestions I offer, open to refinement and expansion:

1. Establish a unified integrity-pledge movement.
Following the CCPI statement’s six-point action plan, participants must pledge that their organization “shall not bribe any politician or government official in exchange for project approvals or favors”. Business groups, service-industries, even LGU-suppliers should sign on; the combined social cost will shift norms.

2. Black-list and expose collusion networks.
The statement urges to “blacklist the notorious businessmen and contractors who conspire with the corrupt politicians and officials, and never do business with these people”. Transparency in supply-chains and procurement is vital. Organizations should publish their vendor lists, due-diligence results and links to any known cases.

3. Support independent investigative machinery.
An independent commission, properly empowered and insulated from undue political influence, must be armed with subpoena power, forensic accounting capability, and public-reporting mechanisms. The statement makes this clear: “thorough investigations … by an independent body with the aim of prosecuting these corrupt officials, putting them in jail, and recovering the stolen funds.” Business and civic organizations can fund civil-society monitoring, citizen-watchdog contributions, and public-data platforms feeding the investigations.

4. Mobilize citizen education and voter-awareness.
The joint statement emphasizes: “participate in and support citizen and voter education campaigns … so that citizens can discern and elect officials who have good anti-corruption records.” Universities, business schools, youth networks and professional associations must adopt curricula and programs that teach procurement ethics, public-sector oversight, civic duty.

5. Leverage technology, transparency and data-sharing.
As business and professional bodies, we should adopt open-data tools, public-vendor registries, blockchain-enabled procurement tracking, and real-time dashboards of project-costs vs. budgets. These technologies can raise the cost of corruption by heightening visibility, accountability and citizen-access.

A final word

Corruption is not an abstract; it is real money, stolen resources, ruined infrastructure, lost lives. Recent coverage reveals millions of pesos in flood-control funds may have been misused, failing to protect the very communities most at risk. The CCPI and its partners are refusing to remain silent. So should we.

To business leaders, civic activists, educators and citizen-professionals: this is your plate too. Join the statement, build the integrity networks, press for investigations, engage the public.

Let us not simply call for reform. Let us make reform inevitable.

Corruption persists when silence, complicity and indifference prevail. The CCPI has spoken. Will you answer the call?

RAMON IKE V. SENERES

www.facebook.com/ike.seneres iseneres@yahoo.com senseneres.blogspot.com 09088877282/06-16-2026