Mayor Vico Sotto bats for anti-corruption drive awareness
By Deighton Acuin
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| PHOTO: Manila Bulletin |
Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto on Wednesday expressed hopes that his International Anti-corruption award raises awareness on campaign dismantling corruption practices.
"Thank you to the U.S. Department of State for this recognition. But more than the recognition, I hope this helps raise awareness," Sotto posted on his social media account.
"If we want better long-term governance, we need to fight corruption. We have to denormalize it, get it out of our culture," he added.
Sotto, in the same post, said reforms were implemented in Pasig City as he admitted there were lapses during his tenure.
"Sa, Pasig marami na rin tayong napagtagumpayang mga reporma. Ngunit hindi ganun kadaling basagin ang mga kalakarang deka-dekada na. We've made mistakes, had failures along the way. May nagalit, may nanabotahe, atbp," he said.
Sotto underscored the importance to remain steadfast in implementing the reforms.
"Ang mahalaga, hindi tayo nagpapatinag," he said.
United States Secretary of State Anthony Blinken named Sotto among 12 International Champions defending transparency, fighting corruption, and ensuring accountability.
In his statement, Blinken added the award aims to recognize individuals who "worked tirelessly, often in the face of adversity, to defend transparency, combat corruption, and ensure accountability in their own countries."
"Around the world, corruption threatens security and stability, hinders economic growth, undermines democracy and human rights, destroys trust in public institutions, facilitates transnational crime, and siphons away public and private resources," said Blinken.
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