Recently, the Philippines has finally begun to get less corrupt.

Philippines is the 99 least corrupt nation out of 175 countries, according to the 2018
Corruption Perceptions Index reported by Transparency International.
The Philippines also ranked higher in 2018, jumping 12 notches from 111th in 2017 to 99th out
of 180 countries.

Reducing corruption and strengthening civil service remain a

challenge, even with numerous reforms. Anti-corruption initiatives and civil service
reforms are continuously being implemented but reforms need time to take root

The Office of the Ombudsman (OMB), which is the lead agency in reducing corruption in the
government, follows a three-pronged approach of corruption reduction: promoting public awareness of
anti-corruption drives; implementing prevention measures; and strengthening deterrence mechanisms.
The OMB conducted Integrity Caravans through a University Integrity Tour. It implemented corruption-
prevention programs like the Integrity Management Plan; the Integrity, Transparency, and Accountability
in Public Service training; and the system enhancement of filing and analyzing Statement of Assets,
Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) through the rollout of e-SALN.

At the Executive level, EO 43, s. 2017 created the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission. The
Commission is tasked to “assist the President in investigating and hearing administrative cases of graft
and corruption against all presidential appointees.” Once fully operational, the Commission will have the
authority to conduct lifestyle checks and fact-finding investigations on appointees who are subjects of
graft and/or corruption complaints.

Related to the same desired outcomes, various capacity building and civil service programs are being
conducted. The Civil Service Commission (CSC) has successfully assisted 501 agencies through the
Program to Institutionalize Meritocracy and Excellence in Human Resource Management.12 The
Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) has taken in 88 officers under its Public Management
Development Program.13 For third level positions, the Career Executive Service Board (CESB) offers
executive training courses and career development programs and facilitates eligibility and rank
appointment of government executives. As of January 31, 2018, 40 percent of CES positions are occupied
by CESOs and eligibles, 32 percent are non-CESO and non-CES-eligible presidential appointees, and 29
percent are vacant14.

Other agencies also have initiatives on developing competencies of civil servants: DBM, Local
Government Academy (LGA), and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). DBM has the PFM
Competency Program and the Careership Program in Development Economics in partnership with the UP
School Economics. On the other hand, LGA is training LGUs in planning, monitoring and evaluation, and
disaster risk management. Lastly, DFA is capacitating its consular through online consular assistants
training and retooling programs.

Recommendation

Strengthen and improve the implementation of anti-corruption

initiatives. A prerequisite to this is the enactment of the bills on strengthening the Ombudsman.
Passage of the law should be complemented with the full implementation of the National Anti-Corruption
and Advocacy Plan and the country’s commitments to the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC).
Aside from existing regulatory instruments, systems, and capacities, the e-SALN should be rolled out to
the entire bureaucracy. Public sector procurement also needs to be further reviewed by the Government
Procurement Policy Board. One area that can be looked into is allowing agencies to adhere to the Lowest
Calculated and Most Responsive Bid principle to ensure that bidders compete in terms of both cost and
quality. Contract design and administration must also be improved to minimize ambiguities that can be a
source of corruption and inefficiencies. Clauses on sanctions or penalties on suppliers/contractors
deviating from contract terms must be clearly articulated and strictly enforced. Public access to
information on these contracts can also help exact accountability and ensure fairness. Other long-standing
procurement issues15 should be resolved. These include limits to the entry of foreign bidders in terms of
application of financial and technical criteria and the institution of an independent and autonomous
complaint appeals body to resolve protests.

Ease and further streamline government transactions and processes. This

can be done by reviewing and relaxing Commission on Audit (COA) rules and regulations that seem
already antiquated, unnecessary, and ineffective and that only impede expeditious public service delivery.
This will allow COA to focus and intensify efforts on areas and sectors most vulnerable to corruption. In
addition, regulatory impact assessment, cost compliance analysis, and other related tools must be
institutionalized. A national regulatory architecture must also be developed towards a sound regulatory
system. These programs are designed to reduce regulatory burdens and re-engineer systems and
procedures in frontline services. The National Competitiveness Council can enhance Project Repeal by
looking into the qualitative nature of the repealed regulations (i.e. verifying whether the outputs of the
program contribute to the intended outcomes). Related to this, issuances hindering the seamless agency-
to-agency transactions should also be repealed. To speed up procurement and implementation, agencies
should develop capacities to plan and program their projects, to formulate well-designed contracts, and to
properly and smoothly administer contracts.

Enforcement

The Philippines has an impressive number of laws to tackle practically all

cases requiring fast actions. However, enforcement of these laws leaves much to be desired. The
retention of officials whom the President’s anti-graft agency itself recommended to be removed
suggests a lack of political will, and the priority of partisanship over the public interest. This would
have provided an occasion for articulating the Administration’s ethical vision, catching a big fish,
and warning everyone that the leadership means business.

The people expect not only equal enforcement of the law, but even more strictness on persons
perceived to be in the President’s inner circle. Decisiveness would also be perceived if the public is
informed of a clear connection between the official’s misdeed and his/her removal. Part of the popular
dissatisfaction with the conduct of accountability is the lack of closure of cases. The number of
investigations that were not finished, or have “softer” findings and conclusions when no longer
laboring under the public eye, does not increase public confidence in the anti-corruption programs.

Leadership in the Anti-

corruption Drive

Leadership of the organizations primarily focused on fighting corruption requires higher

qualifications than what is normally demanded. This applies particularly to the Ombudsman and to
the heads of other agencies specifically created for this purpose. The very concept of an Ombudsman
requires a person of high integrity whose very presence provokes respect and rectitude. The
Philippines has not been blessed with the appointment of such persons to this office. Instead, they
have been controversial, such that they raised questions about the Office, itself not only about its
head. The President who appoints the Ombudsman should be cognizant of the high expectations of
the people to bring to the Ombudsman’s office persons known for their ethical role modeling, non-
partisanship, and good judgement.

Better Public Administration

The management approach started under the Duterte administration should be continued and
improved. Persons in decision-making positions should be trained and encouraged to think
strategically. The challenge is to use whatever capacity there is towards work that is focused on
enhancing the public interest. There is also a need to institutionalize some of the efforts that have
been put into enhancing accountability since 1986. This means the support of agency reform
measures, as well as the establishment of new procedures, to pave the way for cleaner
administration.

Transparency and Accountability

Make transparency real, allowing civil servants and the public to access information in government.
A question hour in Congress, or a radio-TV program with questions and comments to be answered by
executive officials may help inquiries into any aspect of their policies and performance. Reports of
investigations should be made available to the public. The support of the mass media in these
endeavors, accompanied by their own efforts at reforming their ranks, would be crucial to the success
of these efforts.

Accountable performance would be supported if the public is informed about what the agency does
and why. It is a means of ensuring that the personnel themselves know its mission. At the same
time, both they and the public would also then understand the reasoning behind what seem to
appear only as red tape. Information sharing - particularly of steps in service delivery - also makes it
unnecessary for the client to seek out a ‘fixer’. Open transactions can build a sense of partnership
between the government and the people the agencies serve.

Role of the People

There is a need for popular involvement in ethics and accountability. Paying the proper taxes,
obeying regulations, being well informed about government services - these are only the first steps in
moving to a disciplined but democratic society. In addition, support for politicians who promote
causes rather than just their charm and personality would also make the line of accountability
clearer. The development of parties with coherent platforms should then be a focus of people’s
participation, to tie up with the reforms suggested above. These are all in addition to the
encouragement of NGOs that are non-partisan in exposing corruption and bringing violators to
justice. The start of many of these measures has already been made. They are in tune with
democratic principles, as well as the culture. One hopes that many more financial, human and moral
resources will be placed at the service of accountability in the country.