Set aside political colors to fight corruption — Bam Aquino

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Bam Aquino, whose family is largely affiliated with the color yellow, urged the public to set aside political colors to address corruption in government.

The flood control scam has proven to be systemic and massive in scale — and this is only for the kickback scheme discovered at the Department of Public Works and Highways. Other forms of corruption in other agencies are beginning to surface, including an alleged extortion scheme at the Bureau of Internal Revenue.

At the end of the day, the real victims are ordinary Filipinos, the senator said. Disaster and systemic failures do not distinguish between political affiliations.

“Right now, ang tanong, yung mga nagnakaw at sino yung mga ninakawan. Iyong nababaha, di naman iyan pink, green, red, yellow, or whatever. Iyong binabaha, taumbayan,” Aquino said.

(Right now, the question is who the thieves are and who is being robbed. Those who are being flooded are not pink, green, red, yellow, or whatever. The people are being flooded.)

The senator said that corruption saw no colors, and it was not about whose side one is on. The conversation has been too focused on politicians and not on the people.

“Once you frame it back to the politician, it just becomes about politics again. And people tune out of politics,” Aquino said.

Despite being largely affiliated with the opposition, Aquino, together with Sen. Kiko Pangilinan, joined the Senate majority in the 20th Congress, supporting current Senate President Tito Sotto.

Even prior to Sotto’s assumption of the Senate presidency, however, Aquino was also part of the majority under Sen. Chiz Escudero in order to chair the Senate Committee on Education.

With billions of pesos suspected of being stolen in the flood control corruption scheme, several lawmakers and officials have already been implicated in the matter.

For the most part, politicians have denied any wrongdoing, labeling the accusations as part of political ploys.