Palace counters Binay: Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang on Wednesday responded to Vice President Jejomar Binay's statement that the country's moral problem is poverty and not corruption.

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the two problems besetting the nation are related and should be both addressed.

"Tunay na magkaugnay at hindi dapat paghiwalayin ang paglaban sa korapsyon at sa pagpawi ng kahirapan," Coloma said in a text message to reporters.

"Itinataguyod ang Daang Matuwid at mabuting pamamahala ayon sa batayang prinsipyo: Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap," he added.

During a forum with three other presidential candidates on Tuesday, Binay said his administration will fight poverty, not corruption should he be elected president in May 2016.

Binay is facing plunder and graft complaints before the Ombudsman in connection with allegedly overpriced infrastructure projects in Makati during his stint as mayor.

"The moral problem is not corruption, the moral problem is poverty. That is what I want to face, not the fight against all these allegations, but the fight to alleviate the life of every Filipino," Binay said.

In a separate forum also on Tuesday, President Aquino touted the achievements of his administration's anti-corruption campaign.

Aquino said under his watch, several organizations and individuals who were considered sacrosanct had been made accountable for their actions.

He said these people include former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who remains under hospital arrest for a plunder case on the alleged misuse of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office funds.

"There are the various, shall we say, very influential players in Philippine society, the interplay of the same. The political will was exercised to achieve the common good at the risk of having all of these factors cease to be cooperative and be disruptive," Aquino told the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines.

"So we did not lose sight of the main promise, which was to make government accountable to the people and more transparent," he added. - Louis Bacani