Rizal Hall, Malacañan Palace
15 December 2015
President Benigno S. Aquino III received the anti-corruption resolution during the 3rd State Conference on United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) in Malacañan Palace.
Handing over the resolution to the President was Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales, who also relayed progress reports on the creation of the five-year anti-corruption framework. According to her, the Philippines is ready to undergo the second review cycle of the anti-corruption Implementation Review Mechanism of the UNCAC as a State Party member if selected via the annual drawing of lots within the periods of 2015-2020.
Under the submitted resolution, it “calls on all the relevant government agencies and concerned private sector groups and civil society organizations to continue their active participation and engagement on various consultation efforts relative to the progress on the UNCAC compliance and anti-corruption initiatives of the government.”
Curbing corruption under the mantra “Kung Walang Corrupt, Walang Mahirap,” President Aquino expressed optimism for the Filipinos to continue choosing the “straight path” of reform in the 2016 presidential election.
“The result of our all-out campaign against corruption has manifested in an empowered government, with a greater capacity to invest in its people… I have faith that, with all that we have achieved together these past few years, our people will not choose to backslide; that they will choose officials with the integrity and the capabilities to build on our successes, so that we, as one Philippine nation, can give rise to a country we can be proud to bequeath to the next generations,” President Aquino said.
The United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) is the first global legally binding international anti-corruption instrument that holds multilateral convention negotiated among members of the United Nations or State Parties. As member, the Philippines is obliged to implement preventive and punitive anti-corruption measures, including asset recovery, affecting their laws, institutions and practices. The Philippines was last reviewed in 2011.
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