The European Union has called for “zero tolerance” toward corruption at all levels of Philippine society and “ruthless” application of the law to everyone during the launching of the Office of the Ombudsman’s Corruption Prevention Project.

Manila: The European Union (EU) Thursday called for a “zero tolerance” toward corruption at all levels of Philippine society and “ruthless” application of the law to everyone during the launching of the Office of the Ombudsman’s Corruption Prevention Project.

The project is funded with a 2.9 million euros EU grant for a period of three years.

EU Ambassador to the Philippines Jan de Kok said that their assistance had no policy conditionalities and that the EU was merely responding to the Ombudsman’s request to be a partner in the fight against corruption.

Part of the EU contribution to the project is the engagement ofTony Kwok, former chief of Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption, as an advisor for the project.

De Kok urged the Philippines to expedite the prosecution of cases and show the public how serious it was in the fight against corruption through conviction of those charged.

“Engaging in an act of corruption is just as bad as allowing someone to engage in that act or allowing that person to go unpunished. The fight must be relentless. It must be intensified. And it must be indiscriminate,” de Kok said.

“People should not ask for special treatment and should not be given special treatment. Whistleblowers should not be afraid. Offenders, at whatever level, should be prosecuted swiftly, justly and indiscriminately,” he added.

Xinhua, China View, May 12, 2005