Santiago to youth: Help end culture of corruption

Presidential candidate Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago asks new graduates of the Bulacan State University to help end the culture of corruption.

MALOLOS, Bulacan — Presidential candidate Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Monday called on new graduates to  help end the culture of corruption.

Santiago, who was guest speaker at the commencement exercises at the Bulacan State University, urged graduates in her 13-minute speech to vent their frustrations against the government, especially about corruption, on social media.

“You are not powerless, use your Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and YouTube accounts to voice your anger and frustrations against the politicians who are driven by greed and who are the very source of corruption in the government,” she said.

“Do not allow the rich and the powerful to be given special privileges. You have every right to be furious at all these corrupt politicians; because after all, it is our money that is being used to sustain their expensive lifestyles,” she said.

She asked the youth to challenge the status quo and help build a better country for the people.

“Use your right to vote to change our country…Piliin natin yung matatag, yung may prinsipyo,” she said before a cheering crowd of 3,000 graduates and their families.

In her speech, the feisty senator also told the youth to participate in the elections and join the government workforce.

“Be critical, vocal, and involved in the political process. We are a democratic country and it is our duty to keep our government in check,”  she said.

“If you refuse to work in government because you think it is so corrupt, no one else will be left in government except the corrupt,” she added.

With three weeks left to the May 9 elections, Santiago has been actively campaigning with her running mate Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. in university campuses.

It was their third campaign together after she took a break from the campaign trail for about a month for her cancer treatment.

Marcos joined her at the Bulacan State University but he did not give a speech.