Martires: One out of 40 households has had experience with corruption
by Czarina Nicole Ong KiOmbudsman Samuel Martires has revealed that one out of every 40 households in the country has had an experience with corruption activities.
This is what the Ombudsman revealed during his keynote speech at the Sikhay Laban sa Korapsyon (SiLaK): A Public Accountability Summit Against Corruption held at the 27th floor of the Diamond Hotel on Monday morning.
Martires relied on the data of the National Household Survey on Experience with Corruption, which is conducted by his office with the help of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA). The survey measured the extent of the pervasiveness of petty or bureaucratic corruption in the country.
The 2010 data revealed that four out of 40 families has had an experience with corruption, such as giving bribes to local officials and policemen. The 2013 survey yielded two out of 40 families, while the 2016 survey only had one out of 40 families involved in corruption.
Martires said that everybody is susceptible to corruption, and it is not just public officials who fall prey to its trap. “Pati ang taong nagbibigay ay corrupt din (Even those who give [bribes] are also corrupt,” he said.
Given this fact, Martires once again highlighted the importance of Good Manners and Right Conduct and Values Formation in households and school curriculums.