Palace aide admits corruption exists at lower levels

Undersecretary Abigail Valte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Saying corruption could not be stamped out overnight, an aide to President Benigno Aquino III acknowledged Saturday that corruption may still be taking place in the bureaucracy.

Asked if corruption was truly “over” as President Aquino told delegates to the Asian Development Bank’s annual meeting, spokeswoman Abigal Valte replied, “Well, at least for the transactions in the national government.”

“While we understand that it has not completely gone down to every small agency… we know that this is not something that will be solved overnight,” Valte added in a radio interview.

Valte said the Aquino administration would welcome any information on alleged graft taking place in the government.

“We do welcome complaints, pieces of information, for practices that are not in line with the President’s reform agenda,” Valte said.

She said the Aquino administration was looking to institute changes “in such a way that the reforms become systemic and not just because it is President Aquino who’s in place.”

“The things we are doing now are not just a matter of policy. We want to make it part of the system also for the guidance of future administrations as well,” Valte said.