WHEN just about everything can be done through technology and modern machines and gadgets, authorities should marshal available resources to making governments shift to electronic savvy.
That is the idea of Senator Christopher Lawrence "Bong Go," chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography.
He argues that the government can make the dispensation of services faster and helps in curbing red tape and corruption. Fine, but what if the operators of the machines are themselves corrupt to the bone? Can the corruption attempts be monitored, identified and stopped? Big questions, these, before the proponents of e-governance push through with this plan to innovate the system of government in our country.
It is to be noted that in every government office are embedded overzealous and creative individuals who are tempted to skin money from their respective offices. Who can possibly stop them?
The good senator posited thus: In an age where almost everything can be done online and through other digital platforms, the government must harness the power of information and communications technology to better serve its purpose and bring the government closer to the people.
Senator Go has some reservations on the e-governance scheme: For e-governance to be a success, the transitions should also be free of corruption, particularly in determining the specifications needed and in the actual procurement of information technology (IT) equipment.
So there. Even the good senator recognizes the perils of shifting to e-governance as he knows the people psyche and behavior of Filipinos.
He adds: These technological interventions can also be misused to create new opportunities for fraud and corruption.
Senate Bill 1758, authored by Senator Go, has the following features: The establishment of an internal governance network which will allow the national and local governments to share information data and resources, create online public service portals, an internal records system and a national directory of information on Philippine citizens and public officials.
The transition to e-governance will be spearheaded by the Department of Information and Communications Technology.
With its passage, Filipinos can directly access and request government information, documents and forms, except pertaining to national security, through the internet, anywhere and anytime. Wow!