The former president of the Philippine episcopal conference quoted the 2002 report of Germany-based Transparency International, stating that the Philippines is a dismal 77th among the 102 countries rated on the basis of corruption, the Misna agency reported.
«There will be no more corrupt public officials, when citizens stop being corruptible,» Archbishop Cruz exhorted. «Public administration will stop being corrupt when people stop tolerating corruption as normal.»
A few days ago, Archbishop Cruz sharply criticized jueteng, the illegal gambling game known as the «lottery of the poor.» He assailed the enormous movement of illegal betting.
As a result, the archbishop has faced the wrath of the criminals who control the game, as well as of the corrupt public employees who benefit from it, including the police officers and local authorities who facilitate the game.
