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Quiet attempts at good governance
Posted on August 21, 2004 - 4:15pm :: ISD-Philippines | Politics
By Solita Monsod
Aug 13, 2004 | Inquirer News Service
TF! Editorial Comment: Government corruption is a deeply entrenched scourge in many countries that retards development and erodes public confidence. In the article below, some promising Philippine efforts are showing a possible way forward when dedicated public servants take a leadership role.
IF you want to get a good feeling about government, read on. This is about serious attempts (as distinct from publicity stunts) to strengthen the efficiency of government agencies and their ability to combat corruption. That they are quiet attempts underline their seriousness even more. This is also about government officials we can be proud of.
Ever heard of the "Solana Covenant"? No? That is because, by design, there was no attendant publicity. It is an anti-corruption plan--to "help create an ethical, honest and accountable governance"--formalized during an "Anti-Corruption Summit" held last January by the heads of the three front-line constitutional agencies in the battle for good governance. This was a two-day meeting attended by Civil Service Commission chair Karina Constantino-David, Commission on Audit chair Guillermo Carague and Ombudsman Simeon V. Marcelo in Solana (Anilao, Batangas), together with their top lieutenants.
The three are uniquely situated. Because of their tenure in office (their terms are up in 2008 or 2009), and their constitutionally mandated independence, they are in a much better position to work together in fighting corruption. The Solana Covenant is the result of an assessment of their institutions' anti-corruption mandates, capabilities and resources, and lists "concrete and doable initiatives to be undertaken jointly and by each institution within the next five (5) years." Moreover, there is recognition of the role that can and should be played by civil society--they are open to collaborative efforts.
The initiatives are truly concrete, contained in three and a half pages, and categorized into "Collective (Medium Term)," "Collective (Immediate term)," "Individual Agency Actions (Medium Term)," and " Individual Agency Actions (Immediate Term)." Among those in the first group of initiatives is one that should have been done a long time ago: the establishment of a database for the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) that will be run by the CSC, together with procedures to enhance compliance and monitoring. Another important one: the three agencies individually commit to "self-cleansing" within six months from signing (last March), and to share best practices in this regard.
No name-and-shame tactics will be used, nor will the source of complaints be compromised; and press releases only after the issuance of a preventive suspension order or determination of probable cause or prima facie case. Included in the covenant is the possibility of co-endorsing a bill on the confidentiality for complaints and investigation of cases that are corruption-related. No trial-by-publicity--another noteworthy difference between them and the publicity-seeking, self-serving "exposés"--where reputations are shredded with abandon.
What should really warm the cockles of the reader's heart is that actions have already matched words. For example, there is the matter of unliquidated cash advances, which at least bespeaks of incompetence and, at worst, corruption. The enhanced cooperation among the signatories is reflected in the "show cause" letters signed either by the Ombudsman (for presidential appointees) or the CSC chair (for the rest) when COA audits show unliquidated cash advances of at least P50,000. The anecdotal evidence so far is that there has been a marked decrease in these unliquidated advances.
And there is the Pasada (Public Service Delivery Audit) of the CSC, a program where accredited volunteers rate front-line service agencies, both national (e.g., LTO) and local (e.g. municipal halls) according to pre-determined, objective criteria. After three low ratings, CSC writes and offers to help the concerned agencies improve their performance. CSC does not intend to come out with a list of the agencies with poor performance, but it intends (by year-end) to publicize those that have efficient delivery systems (I can't wait). Those who do not make the list can consider themselves seriously in need of improvement.
This is not to say that the attempts to improve governance and reduce corruption only started with the Solana Covenant. Karina David and her people managed to improve service with less resources. Gem Carague has been working on a New Government Accounting System (NGAS) that will replace the more-than 50-year-old system, which is as complicated as it is obfuscatory. And since Simeon Marcelo took office, the conviction rate of the Ombudsman before the Sandiganbayan has more than doubled (that's the good news: the bad news is that it is still very low--it went up from 6 percent to 14 percent). Marcelo's battle cry is to increase the risks and reduce the rewards of corruption, and he has involved the World Bank (for funding) and the Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption (for technical assistance) in his campaign.
Nor are the attempts limited to the three constitutional agencies. The Department of Education, together with the OMB and the CSC, has participated in the so-called "Integrity Development Review" with the help of the Development Academy of the Philippines--but that is the subject of another column.
The Solana Covenant has certainly brought cooperation and coordination efforts to a new high, not only among agencies, but also among other sectors. Who knows, it may bring us much closer, and much sooner to the "tipping point" that will transform a vicious cycle of corruption into a virtuous cycle of good governance.
Source: Link to Article
Aug 13, 2004 | Inquirer News Service
TF! Editorial Comment: Government corruption is a deeply entrenched scourge in many countries that retards development and erodes public confidence. In the article below, some promising Philippine efforts are showing a possible way forward when dedicated public servants take a leadership role.
IF you want to get a good feeling about government, read on. This is about serious attempts (as distinct from publicity stunts) to strengthen the efficiency of government agencies and their ability to combat corruption. That they are quiet attempts underline their seriousness even more. This is also about government officials we can be proud of.
Ever heard of the "Solana Covenant"? No? That is because, by design, there was no attendant publicity. It is an anti-corruption plan--to "help create an ethical, honest and accountable governance"--formalized during an "Anti-Corruption Summit" held last January by the heads of the three front-line constitutional agencies in the battle for good governance. This was a two-day meeting attended by Civil Service Commission chair Karina Constantino-David, Commission on Audit chair Guillermo Carague and Ombudsman Simeon V. Marcelo in Solana (Anilao, Batangas), together with their top lieutenants.
The three are uniquely situated. Because of their tenure in office (their terms are up in 2008 or 2009), and their constitutionally mandated independence, they are in a much better position to work together in fighting corruption. The Solana Covenant is the result of an assessment of their institutions' anti-corruption mandates, capabilities and resources, and lists "concrete and doable initiatives to be undertaken jointly and by each institution within the next five (5) years." Moreover, there is recognition of the role that can and should be played by civil society--they are open to collaborative efforts.
The initiatives are truly concrete, contained in three and a half pages, and categorized into "Collective (Medium Term)," "Collective (Immediate term)," "Individual Agency Actions (Medium Term)," and " Individual Agency Actions (Immediate Term)." Among those in the first group of initiatives is one that should have been done a long time ago: the establishment of a database for the Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) that will be run by the CSC, together with procedures to enhance compliance and monitoring. Another important one: the three agencies individually commit to "self-cleansing" within six months from signing (last March), and to share best practices in this regard.
No name-and-shame tactics will be used, nor will the source of complaints be compromised; and press releases only after the issuance of a preventive suspension order or determination of probable cause or prima facie case. Included in the covenant is the possibility of co-endorsing a bill on the confidentiality for complaints and investigation of cases that are corruption-related. No trial-by-publicity--another noteworthy difference between them and the publicity-seeking, self-serving "exposés"--where reputations are shredded with abandon.
What should really warm the cockles of the reader's heart is that actions have already matched words. For example, there is the matter of unliquidated cash advances, which at least bespeaks of incompetence and, at worst, corruption. The enhanced cooperation among the signatories is reflected in the "show cause" letters signed either by the Ombudsman (for presidential appointees) or the CSC chair (for the rest) when COA audits show unliquidated cash advances of at least P50,000. The anecdotal evidence so far is that there has been a marked decrease in these unliquidated advances.
And there is the Pasada (Public Service Delivery Audit) of the CSC, a program where accredited volunteers rate front-line service agencies, both national (e.g., LTO) and local (e.g. municipal halls) according to pre-determined, objective criteria. After three low ratings, CSC writes and offers to help the concerned agencies improve their performance. CSC does not intend to come out with a list of the agencies with poor performance, but it intends (by year-end) to publicize those that have efficient delivery systems (I can't wait). Those who do not make the list can consider themselves seriously in need of improvement.
This is not to say that the attempts to improve governance and reduce corruption only started with the Solana Covenant. Karina David and her people managed to improve service with less resources. Gem Carague has been working on a New Government Accounting System (NGAS) that will replace the more-than 50-year-old system, which is as complicated as it is obfuscatory. And since Simeon Marcelo took office, the conviction rate of the Ombudsman before the Sandiganbayan has more than doubled (that's the good news: the bad news is that it is still very low--it went up from 6 percent to 14 percent). Marcelo's battle cry is to increase the risks and reduce the rewards of corruption, and he has involved the World Bank (for funding) and the Hong Kong Independent Commission Against Corruption (for technical assistance) in his campaign.
Nor are the attempts limited to the three constitutional agencies. The Department of Education, together with the OMB and the CSC, has participated in the so-called "Integrity Development Review" with the help of the Development Academy of the Philippines--but that is the subject of another column.
The Solana Covenant has certainly brought cooperation and coordination efforts to a new high, not only among agencies, but also among other sectors. Who knows, it may bring us much closer, and much sooner to the "tipping point" that will transform a vicious cycle of corruption into a virtuous cycle of good governance.
Source: Link to Article
