Whistleblower protection pushed

A POLITICAL group on Sunday urged authorities to pass a comprehensive whistleblower protection law to safeguard witnesses amid a deepening corruption scandal involving anomalous flood control projects.

In a statement, former Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani T. Zarate described the government’s current witness protection framework as “grossly inadequate,” leaving whistleblowers exposed to danger when they speak up.

“Whether it is through direct violence or the immense pressure of systemic corruption, those who hold the keys to uncovering plunder are often the most vulnerable,” he said. “Without a robust, iron-clad protection law, we are essentially leaving witnesses to fend for themselves against well-entrenched, often well-armed, interests.”

The Philippines is grappling with a multibillion-peso flood control scandal that has implicated senior government officials, politicians and private contractors accused of siphoning billions of pesos from public funds. — Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio