THE recent charges by Senator Pacquiao on the continuing corruption in top government agencies which apparently irked President Rodrigo Roa Duterte (PRRD) are not new and surprised no one except maybe for those who give malicious color to the senator’s expose.
Privy of the positions of PRRD and honorable senator, the PCC affirms both figures’ claims and stands that organized corruption remain rampant in the government even with the persistent drive of PRRD to rid its administration of such problem.
The People’s Council for Change (PCC), a national coalition of civil society organizations (CSOs) and people’s organizations (POs) and a pioneer advocacy partner of the DILG Bantay Korapsyon Program (DILG-BKP) under the supervising authority of Under Secretary for Operations Epimaco Densing III, believes that graft and corruption in government have long been with us, and will persist so long as the judicial system, its legal provisions and procedures contain so much loopholes and managed by questionable prosecutors and judges which easily give the crooks undue advantage to circumvent and get off the hook.
Usec. Densing III however emphasizes to DILG BKP-PCC partnership that thing that will spell the big difference in the fight against corruption and reforming the judicial system is the active, dynamic and skillful participation of a strong citizens movement.
In the same breadth, Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) Chief Greco Belgica asserts that their Presidential office has since their formation in 2018 been active in investigating and prosecuting erring government officials; he emphasized repeatedly though that he looks forward to partnering more with CSOs in the fight against corruption.
Citing independent studies by established legal and academic institutions, PCC reveals that the prevailing judicial system remains to the advantage of the moneyed families and corporations; and it takes 5 to 15 grueling years to settle major cases involving graft and corruption, land disputes and heinous crimes especially if the parties or figures under complaint belong to known elites or member of political dynasties.
PCC also cited studies by Senate Blue Ribbon Committee which assayed that the government loses billions annually to graft and corruption, involving national agencies down to local government units (LGU), including barangay units, and segments of the citizenry surviving on the spoils of patronage politics.
Translated into social security benefits, this huge fund lost to corruption, deprived thousands of Filipino families of the basic services that the government is supposed to deliver regularly. Millions could have been given decent houses, quality education, adequate medical care, safe and healthy food.
For all this, PCC stands that a broad and strong citizens movement led by independent, progressive, and skillful CSOs and POs active in local development councils (LDCs), local special bodies (LSBs) and other participation mechanisms up to the national level as provided by the Constitution and Local Government Code, is the key and strategic solution to eradicating bureaucratic corruption.
Without a strong and skillful citizens movement, the government’s exhortation for transparency, accountability and responsiveness in governance will likely fall only on deaf ears and blind eyes, and bound to persist from present to succeeding administrations.
It is PCC members’ experience and wisdom that CSOs and POs know better the conditions on the ground, the aspirations and sentiments, fears and anxieties, issues and needs of the sectors and communities. Most of PCC member CSOs and POs are led by leaders with unquestionable integrity and honed in development and governance orientation and skills.
In this regard, cognizant of the government’s anti-corruption campaign despite its limitations, remain ever supportive to it. The PCC, together with DILG BKP, however give premium to organizing, strengthening and capacitating independent CSOs and POs in advancing participatory, responsive and public interest-driven governance.
The PCC hopes that the LGUs strongly in linked arms with the CSOs and Pos will heed the calls of PRRD, Senator Pacquiao, USEC Densing III and PACC Chairman Belgica to intensify campaign vs graft and corruption, and in advancing participatory governance and public interest issues and concerns.