“Corruption is like a wrecking ball, smashing into the very heart of our democratic institutions”
PEOPLE across the globe are victims of corruption.
For instance, 68 percent of EU citizens believe that corruption is widespread in their country, and 58 percent of them think government efforts to combat corruption are not effective (2022 European Commission Survey).
In the US, 56 percent of survey respondents said the government is corrupt (University of Chicago’s Institute of Politics 2022 survey).
In the Philippines, a survey among the country’s top business executives identified corruption as the biggest barrier to economic recovery (PricewaterhouseCoopers Philippines and the Management Association of the Philippines 2022 survey).
Corruption is like a wrecking ball, smashing into the very heart of our democratic institutions. It undermines our electoral processes, the rule of law, and the integrity of the bureaucracy.
Dec 9 was the annual celebration of International Anti-Corruption Day which called on the need to take action against corruption with emphasis on everyone’s role in promoting governance and accountability.
This is the context of the recent gathering on Dec 7 of over 21 organizations during the anti-corruption forum of the Stratbase ADR Institute and Democracy Watch Philippines where the need for a unified approach to tackle corruption in the whole-of-Philippine society was the unanimous consensus.
It was attended by a multi-sectoral spectrum of representatives from government, the private sector, academe, and civil society.
The participants were from: Department of Budget and Management, Anti-Red Tape Authority, Development Academy of the Philippines, Makati Business Club, Integrity Initiative, Institute of Corporate Directors, Ateneo School of Government, La Salle Institute of Governance, Legal Network for Truthful Elections, International Center for Innovation, Transformation and Excellence in Governance, Asian School of Management, Philippine Trade Inc., CitizenWatch Philippines, Philippine Business for Environmental Stewardship, Bantay Konsyumer, Kuryente at Kalsada, and Universal Health Care Watch Philippines.
Stratbase ADR Institute President, Prof. Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit in his opening statement said that to effectively combat corruption, a holistic and coordinated effort is required with a multi-pronged approach that addresses both prevention and enforcement.
“There must be sustained discussions on promoting transparency and accountability, making government processes and initiatives more open and inclusive to public discussion, creating mechanisms for oversight and monitoring, and implementing strong legal frameworks that hold individuals and organizations accountable for their actions,” Manhit said.
DBM Undersecretary Wilford Wong presented ongoing transparency and accountability initiatives such as the Open Government Partnership National Action Plan which supports collaborative engagements through strong multi-sectoral partnerships, and the “open and constructive exchange of thoughts which has led to implementing commitments that have positively affected bureaucratic efficiency, economic resiliency, and greater citizen participation in the country.”
Makati Business Club Executive Director Francisco Alcuaz, said to level the playing field and attract businesses who play by the rules, he called for stronger transparency policies such as the Freedom on Information law, Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth law (SALN Law), Anti-Money Laundering Laws, and the need to improve the Bank Secrecy law.
For the Chairman of the Integrity Initiative lawyer Alexander Cabrera, most important in fighting corruption is the policy in the private sector.
“We believe that the solution to corruption should be with the private sector and other partners because there will be no bribe taker if there is no bribe giver,” Cabrera said.
The Institute of Corporate Director’s incoming Chairman, lawyer Pete Mañiego cited the findings of studies on the direct correlation of transparency and accountability to company performance and shared values.
“Those who are transparent and accountable tend to foster a culture of trust, enhance stakeholder relationships, and ultimately contribute to the long-term sustainability of the organization,” Mañiego said.
Dr. Francisco Magno, Stratbase ADRi Trustee and Program Convenor posited five ways to deal with corruption through: Capacity-building, Collaboration, Public Awareness, Technology and Innovation, and Legal Reforms.
Corruption is a complex social, political, and economic phenomenon rooted in the human weakness to temptations.
Corruption affects all countries like a malignancy that undermines democratic institutions, slows economic development, and contributes to governmental instability.
There is, however, an opportunity to government institutions from both internal and external corruption actors by integrating digital technologies that will automate secure transparency and accountability solutions as anti-corruption barriers in the bureaucracy.