Santiago bares top 3 ‘quotable quotes’ from potential plunderers

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO/Noy Morcoso

MANILA, Philippines – How to catch a possible plunderer through his words? Let Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago count the ways.

In a speech before students of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila Thursday, Santiago said that if a person hears any of the following pronouncements from a certain politician, one can be sure that the politician is a potential plunderer:

• “This is a legitimate government process of long-standing.”
• “The consequences are minimal and my practice will speed up and directly deliver services to my constituents.”
• “I am not abusing the people’s money but I am using what is due to me and intended to be distributed among my constituents.”

“If you hear a candidate saying certain things, you can be sure he will commit plunder if given the opportunity,” Santiago said in her speech entitled ‘Will the 2016 candidates commit plunder?’

The senator said that the “abuse of the pork barrel system” as the “most notorious act of plunder” in the country.

During her speech, Santiago also warned students of the personality traits of reported plunderers who are also vying for posts in the 2016 polls.

She listed “Machiavellianism, narcissism, subclinical psychopathy, weak moral identity and primitive moral thinking” as traits that voters should watch out for in choosing the country’s next leaders.

The senator lamented that that despite “plethora of laws” against corruption, the Philippines still placed 94th among 177 countries in the 2013 Corruption Perception Index.

“It will surprise you to know that in the entire Asia, one country has the highest number of anti-corruption measures – this country is the Philippines. And yet, according to the 2013 Corruption Perception Index, among 177 countries, the Philippines is ranked No. 94. The Philippines was among the first countries to ratify the United Nations Convention Against Corruption in 2006. Yet, it has been estimated that the Philippine economy losses at least 20 percent of our annual national budget to corruption,” she said.

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