Businessmen tolerating bribery in PH should be blamed over

worsening problem.

March 04, 2020, MANILA- Businessmen who succumb to bribery should be

blamed over the government's difficulty to curb the illegal practice. Presidential
spokesman Salvador Panelo said that Wednesday after a study showed that
corruption is among the top threats to the Philippine economy.

Panelo criticized traders who pay off government officials after a report showed
increasing bribery over the last two years.

In it's 2020 Global Economic Crime and Fraud Survey, auditing firm
PricewaterhouseCoopers said at least one in four businesses in the Philippines
have experienced some form of scam in the last two years.

Of the 101 businesses covered by the survey, 42 percent reported losing money
between P254 million to P2.54 billion($5 million to $50 million) since 2018.

"This is concerning as businesses operating in the Philippines may be more likely

to contemplate paying bribes as a feasible option to take in oder to win business
opportunities against competitors" the study noted.

To curb the practice, the Palace urged entrepeneurs to "make noise" about the
problems they encounter so that government can act on it.

President Rodrigo Duterte in his public speeches often promises businessmen of a

corruption-free regime, saying he would "kill" the problem.

He recently ordered government agencies to remove "redundant or burdensome"

processes for businessmen, describing them as "manifestation and
overregulation."