MANILA, Philippines - Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) Chair Conchita Carpio Morales appealed on Thursday to the business sector not to offer bribes or succumb to extortion in their dealings with government, saying corruption does not only increase prices of goods and services but also destroys the moral fabric of the society.
Quoting an Austrian writer, she said corruption is worse than prostitution because the latter "endangers the morals of an individual while the former endangers the morals of the country."
The anti-corruption czar made the remarks when she addressed the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation's (APEC) forum on Anti-Corruption Code of Conduct for Business held in Makati.
Before the talks end today, the delegates from the 21-member APEC countries are expected to sign a unified anti-corruption resolution culled from experiences and studies made by some member states on the menace.
OMB spokesman Asryman Rafanan said the forum aims to increase public awareness that corruption is an unacceptable practice as it causes widespread economic inefficiency and weakens all institutions.
"The gathering looks forward in improving the implementation of anti-corruption laws, policies and programs by engaging representatives of the business regulatory agencies, business associations, chamber of commerce and enterprises of participating APEC economies in the implementation of the APEC Code of Conduct for Business," he said.
