Iloilo Taxi Driver Honored for Returning PHP200K

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

Taxi driver James J. Palma of Mandurriao, Iloilo City was recognized as one of the awardees in the Office of the Ombudsman’s HIP Awards during the celebration of International Anti-Corruption Day (IACD) on December 9.

Palma displayed exemplary honesty and integrity when he promptly returned PHP200,000 left by a passenger in his taxi earlier this year. The cash was intended for the hospital confinement of the passenger.

His actions earned him both local praise and national recognition through the HIP Awards.

Palma’s recognition as a HIP awardee serves as a powerful example of how ordinary citizens can contribute to the fight against corruption by embodying the values of integrity and accountability.

The HIP Awards, or Honesty, Integrity, and Public Accountability Awards, highlight random but selfless acts by individuals across various sectors. These acts reflect the cornerstone Filipino values of honesty, integrity, and accountability, or “katapatan, karangalan, at kahusayan sa pananagutan.”

As part of the IACD commemoration, the Office of the Ombudsman also held a conference titled “SIKHAY LABAN SA KORAPSYON (SiLaK): A Development Strategy Towards a Prosperous, Inclusive, Resilient, and Corruption-Intolerant Society.”

The SiLaK initiative is a collaborative advocacy platform aimed at integrating anti-corruption strategies into national development policies. It focuses on knowledge sharing, data-driven policy development, and best practices to combat corruption while promoting inclusivity and sustainability.

This year’s SiLaK event emphasized linking anti-corruption efforts with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Ombudsman Samuel Martires explained that tackling corruption is essential for achieving the SDGs, as corruption undermines peace, security, and development.

Martires stressed the importance of collaborative action in his keynote address, saying, “This fight requires more than policies. It demands genuine collaboration among government agencies, civil society, and the private sector. Let us continue to build a nation where public trust is upheld, governance is exemplary, and corruption is never tolerated.”

SiLaK’s objectives include strengthening partnerships among stakeholders, developing a centralized knowledge repository on anti-corruption strategies, and promoting gender equality in policy discourse to ensure inclusive solutions.

International Anti-Corruption Day highlights the crucial role of collective action in combatting corruption. Governments, civil servants, civil society, the private sector, and ordinary citizens are called upon to unite against the damaging impacts of corruption.