Senatorial aspirants of the ruling coalition Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas have vowed to combat corruption, acknowledging its persistence despite stringent laws.
During their campaign sortie in Pili in the vote-rich province of Camarines Sur on Friday, the administration-backed candidates assured Bicolanos that they would root out corruption in government should they secure Senate seats in the 12 May midterm elections.
Former senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, who is eyeing a Senate comeback, lamented how corruption continues to hinder the nation’s prosperity, particularly affecting infrastructure projects and livelihoods.
“Wherever we go — to the barbershop, abroad — the issue is the Philippines’ problem [is] corruption. That’s why we really need to stop corruption so that our infrastructure projects can move forward,” he said in a press briefing.
Lacson was referring to the stalled Bicol train project of the Philippine National Railways (PNR), a P142-billion initiative initially set to be financed by a loan from the Export-Import Bank of China. In 2023, the Department of Transportation announced that the country had withdrawn the loan, citing waning interest from China in funding the Bicol Express, which was intended to run from Metro Manila to Daraga, Albay.
Senator Francis “Tol” Tolentino suggested that the Philippines should avoid relying on countries that offer "sugar-coated" promises and instead seek official development assistance from Japan and South Korea.
Leading senatorial candidate and incumbent congressman Erwin Tulfo pointed out that continuous road construction projects in the country could be linked to corruption.
"When they submit a national expenditure program, look at it, there's plenty of roads [construction projects]. Why roads? Because there's a large kickback there," Tulfo said in Filipino.
He stressed the need for stricter scrutiny of infrastructure projects in the next Congress, noting that road issues have persisted for decades.
"Definitely, there's a corruption involved. It has to stop now," Tulfo added.
According to the 2022 Corruption Perceptions Index by Transparency International, the Philippines ranked 116th out of 180 countries. While the ranking slightly improved in 2024, placing the country at 114th, the figure remains below the global average.
The Alyansa senatorial aspirants vowed to push for legislation to curb corruption and improve government transparency.
Apart from Lacson, Tolentino, and Tulfo, the Alyansa ticket includes Makati City Mayor Abby Binay, Senator Ramon Bong Revilla, Senator Pia Cayetano, Senator Lito Lapid, Senator Imee Marcos, former Senator Manny Pacquiao, former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, and Deputy Speaker Camille Villar.
The candidates also pledged to prioritize agricultural development, ensuring food security and economic growth.
Sotto proposed a system where the government directly purchases half of all farm produce at prices set by farmers, eliminating middlemen who take a significant share of the profits.
“It’s a big help for them; they would have a bigger profit, bigger income [while] the consumers also get a benefit," he said.
Meanwhile, Villar emphasized that beyond financial aid, farmers need modernized equipment to increase agricultural productivity. She also highlighted the urgency of implementing biosecurity measures to protect the country’s livestock industry from the African swine fever outbreak, which has caused millions in economic losses and significantly reduced pork production in recent years.
Courting the bailiwick of his former rival, ex-Vice President Leni Robredo, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. described his senatorial lineup as a "dream team", and said he would be the "luckiest" if they secured a 12-candidate sweep in the upcoming polls.