Loren Legarda Pushes ‘Tapat na Paglilingkod’ Act Amid P2.75 Trillion Economic Loss
LOREN LEGARDA – A staggering P2.75 trillion in estimated economic losses has renewed Senator Loren Legarda’s call to make anti-corruption efforts part of the government’s everyday operations.
Senator Loren Legarda has called for stronger government accountability and systemic reforms as corruption continues to weigh heavily on the Philippine economy, saying the issue should go beyond political and personal conflicts.
Legarda emphasized that corruption should be treated as a moral and institutional concern, particularly because public funds lost to irregularities could have been used to address the needs of ordinary Filipinos.
“Ang korapsyon ay higit pa sa usaping politikal, ito ay moral. Sa pagkamkam sa kaban ng bayan, buhay ng sambayanan ang nagdurusa. Ito ang pangunahing dahilan kung bakit nananatiling naghihirap ang ating mga kababayan. Ang mga krisis na mabigat na pinapasan ng mga mamamayan ay talagang hindi matutugunan kung sadyang binubutas ang bulsa ng taumbayan,” said Legarda.
The concern comes amid figures showing the Philippines’ continuing struggle with corruption. The country ranked 120th out of 182 nations in the 2025 Corruption Perceptions Index, receiving a score of 32 out of 100.
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian has estimated that corruption and inflation resulted in around P2.75 trillion in economic losses between the second quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026. The figure includes actual losses as well as opportunities and resources that were not maximized.
“Hindi maliit na bagay ang P2.75 trillion. Kapag ganito kalaki ang nawawala sa ating ekonomiya dahil sa korapsyon at inflation, hindi na puwedeng pag-usapan lamang ang korapsyon tuwing may bagong iskandalo. Dapat tuloy-tuloy nating tingnan kung saan mahina ang sistema, saan maaaring abusuhin ang proseso, at paano natin ito maaayos bago pa mawala ang pera ng bayan,” said Legarda.
The senator also pointed to controversies involving flood control projects, where billions of pesos in government spending have been scrutinized over allegations involving ghost, substandard, and anomalous projects and contracts.
“Sa bigat ng pinapasan ng ating mga kababayan, hindi natin maaaring hayaang mabawasan pa ng korapsyon ang pondong dapat sana tumutugon sa kanilang pangangailangan. Bilang pamahalaan, dapat tayo ang sumalo sa bigat na pinapasan ng mga tao, hindi ang dahilan sa lalo nitong pagbigat,” Legarda said.
To address corruption at its roots, Legarda is backing Senate Bill No. 523, or the proposed “Tapat na Paglilingkod Act.” The measure seeks to integrate anti-corruption efforts into the regular operations of government agencies instead of treating them as separate initiatives.
Under the bill, an Anti-Corruption Mainstreaming Council would be established alongside a six-year National Anti-Corruption Mainstreaming Agenda. Government offices would also be required to submit annual “Corruption Vulnerability Lists” to identify weaknesses before they become avenues for abuse.
“Marami na tayong batas laban sa korapsyon. Marami na rin tayong imbestigasyon at mga kasong isinampa sa paglipas ng panahon. Pero bakit paulit-ulit pa rin? Dahil kung ang mismong sistema ay may butas, may susunod at susunod na magsasamantala rito,” said Legarda.
“Iyan ang gustong baguhin ng Tapat na Paglilingkod Act. Hindi dapat hiwalay na programa ang anti-corruption. Dapat nakapaloob ito sa mismong sistema ng bawat ahensya, mula sa pagpaplano at pagbabadyet hanggang sa procurement, hiring, implementation, monitoring, at evaluation.”
The proposal also includes whistleblower protections, transparency mechanisms, integrity discussions, good-faith disclosures, and digital tools designed to identify corruption risks early.
“Hindi dapat kailangan pang may mawalang bilyon-bilyong piso bago natin tingnan kung may problema ang proseso. Hindi dapat kailangan pang may whistleblower, Senate hearing, o malaking iskandalo bago kumilos. Dapat kaya nating makita ang panganib habang maaga at ayusin ang sistema bago pa ito mapagsamantalahan,” said Legarda.
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