ILIGAN City Rep. Frederick Siao wants permanent field offices for the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Commission on Audit (COA), Civil Service Commission (CSC), and Office of the Ombudsman in the regions, provinces and cities.
He said a budget of P1 trillion is needed in 10 to 15 years for the outlay, maintenance, and other operating expenses (MOOE) of the four agencies.
“The constitutional independence and autonomy of Comelec, CSC, COA, and Ombudsman must also be realized in how the permanent official buildings and facilities of these constitutional bodies are designed, located, built, operated and maintained as well as how the temporary and rented offices of these bodies are acquired and maintained,” he said.
Siao is the civil service and professions committee chairperson in Congress.
A P1-trillion multiyear infra and MOOE plan “envision(s) government centers where the field offices of these constitutional bodies are either distinctly located or separate from the local executive and local legislative offices, so the people can see and feel that these offices are NOT under the authority of the mayor or the governor,” he said.
He said he “further suggest a timeline of 10 to 15 years at the minimum, or longer if they believe more time is needed. Perhaps technical committees can already be formed to get the details worked out sooner than later. Making the concept happen on paper and in reality over at least 10 to 15 years or longer needs the technical inputs of the Department of Finance, Department of Budget and Management, and the Department of Public Works and Highways.”
“The DOF would have its say on how the distinct constitutional bodies’ field offices would be funded on a multiyear basis.
Initially, I suggest the issuance of long term government bonds of at least 10 to 15 maturities for this build-better-and-wiser concept to happen for real,” he noted.