Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, November 28, acknowledged that corruption is "ever present" in the government and the only way to solve it is to change or amend the constitution.

Speaking at two different events at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) where he served as resource speaker, Duterte said that changes to the 1987 Philippine Constitution must be undertaken and include new provisions which will guard against officials who plan to corrupt. A report by the Manila Times confirmed the information provided in this article.

He said that corruption is a very virulent problem and it is hard to stop it because the Philippine Constitution was crafted not taking into consideration the accountability of leaders who are corrupt. He said most of these leaders escape due to the leniency of the constitution.

Examples of corrupt practices

The President also gave scenarios where government corruption is prevalent. He said awarding government projects to the lowest bidders is one and the lack of checks and balances on institutions like the Office of the Ombudsman is another.

He then lambasted the Commission on Human Rights for decrying human rights violations in his war against drugs.

In an earlier speech, the president said he wants to make a deal with the Congress and the entire Filipino people and that deal is to craft a new constitution where he and other people he knows vowed to help and place their own inputs to improve it.

After which, if ever the change becomes apparent and suits the way of life of the Filipinos and corrects the evil things in the country, then the president, as he said, would tender his resignation.

Zero tolerance for corruption

Earlier today (Nov. 28), the president graced an anti-corruption summit organized by the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) and the Vanguard of the Philippine Constitution. The event aimed at taking bigger strides to halt corruption in the country. During the program, an anti-corruption resolution was handed down to the president. It was approved by the VACC during their plenary meeting today.

The resolution contained a 10-point reform plan to break the chains of corruption, which still contribute to poverty and hamper economic development of the country.

Entitled "Breaking the Chains of Corruption," the two-day summit was attended by several experts in the fields of governance and public policy.

The president previously stated that he is staunch in his stance to curb corruption alongside fighting illegal drugs and crime. During his first year as chief executive of the country, he sacked a number of government appointees who had questionable wealth and were linked to corrupt practices.

Following this incident, the president signed in early October the Executive Order 43, forming the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, which seeks to assist him to hear and investigate administrative cases against all his appointees who are involved in graft and corruption.
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