The salaries of journalists must be increased to curb corruption in the media, President Benigno Aquino 3rd said on Friday.

In his speech at the Ninth MediaNation Summit at Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay City, Aquino said that the low salary of journalists increases the temptation to engage in corruption in the media.

“The reporter bears the brunt of having to find stories, source information and craft the reports that find their way to our countrymen. Given the hard work they do and the high standards everyone should demand of them, it becomes legitimate to ask whether their pay and benefits are commensurate to the highest standards of integrity demanded of them,” Aquino said.

Increasing journalists’ salary is part of the Aquino administration’s reforms on the system of pay, benefits and bonuses to prevent corruption in private sector and the government.

“This is no different from the concerns that government and the private sector must bear in mind for all employees, who play such important roles in their operations. We in government are already trying to rationalize and reform our system of pay, benefits, and bonuses—not only to eliminate the temptation of corruption, but also to compensate our employees adequately for their work. This is a concern for all of us precisely because we are dealing with people’s lives,” Aquino explained.

Aquino also said that there is a need for consistent ethical standards in the news media because like other professions, journalism is imbued with public interest.

The President raised conflicts of interests concerns in the news media. He asked what are the parameters concerning endorsements, what are the requirements for sources, and what are the mechanisms for redress against the media?

He said that while the lack of standards that apply throughout the industry does not directly lead to corruption, it makes it easier for corruption to take place.

“The more discretion you give someone, the more leeway they have to make decisions—not necessarily based on a common set of rules and regulations, but on their own desires. The idea is not to make life more difficult, but to make it easy for everyone to do the right thing. This is at the heart of the reforms we are implementing in government,” Aquino said.

Aquino also promised that his administration would not tolerate media killings. He called on the media to work with the government to speedily resolve and avoid media killings and other violence in the country.

“We want to work with you towards the advancement and protection of your profession. In cases of media killings, for example, we in government are demanding the apprehension of suspects and the filing of charges that stick, resulting in justice for all involved. In other cases of violence involving media, we have taken affirmative and just action,” he said.