𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 | 𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗣𝗛, 𝗨𝗦𝗣 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶-𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘂𝗺

GoodGovPH, in cooperation with Upsilon Sigma Phi of the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, spearheaded “WALANG KUKURAP: Kabataan para sa Tapat na Pamamahala, Youth for Integrity and Anti-Corruption in Governance” forum Saturday, December 10.

Held at the UP National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) in Quezon City, the forum talked links between anti-corruption and peace, security, and development with different speakers from various sectors discussing ways for youth engagement against corruption.

In line with the International Anti-Corruption Day Conference 2022, United Nations (UN) Office on Drugs and Crime Southeast Asia Representative and GoodGovPH founder Dexter Arvin Yang discussed how the Philippines is falling behind in terms of the international corruption index.

In the Global Corruption Index, the Philippines dropped from 102nd to 105th out of 196 countries according to a report by Global Risk Profile (GRP) in 2022.

Yang added how the Filipinos are so used to corruption to the point of being desensitized to it.

“It has become our defense mechanism to normalize corrupt acts like bribery, fixers, SOPs (standard operating procedure), palakasan system, and so on. […] We laugh about these things but this is the sad reality of Philippine governance. We have gotten so used to corrupt practices that we don’t notice that this is corruption happening on a daily basis,” they added.

Yang then posited that the fight for corruption “starts with yourself, starts now, and it starts every day.”

Stressing their slogan “United against corruption,” Upsilon Sigma Phi conference director Niño Andrew Albano encouraged attendees to put forth the forum’s objective, as the event coincides with the International Human Rights Day.

“Sa araw na ito, nasimulan na natin ang unang hakbang tungo sa anti-corruption. Walang kukurap sa mga nangyayari sa ating kapaligiran. Walang kukurap sa mga ginagawa ng ating mga tagapamahala. Gigising tayo na may maayos nang bukas,” Albano said.

GoodGovPH Executive Director Ranze Aaron Calderon also hoped for more spaces and events that champion collaboration with allies that fight against corruption.

“After this day, kailangan may gagawin tayo after. Lahat ng ito ay pasok sa tainga, baba sa puso, labas sa buhay,” Calderon added.

𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗢𝗔 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶-𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Former Commission on Audit (COA) commissioner Heidi Mendoza spoke on the importance of whistleblowers in the fight against corruption as keynote speaker in the event, emphasizing their critical role as holders of information especially in the auditing process of any agency.

“But the problem is, in the midst of misinformation, mayroon tayong tinatawag na bullying, smart-shaming, and therefore, those who had the information and the inside knowledge, no matter critical or important, would have second thoughts,” Mendoza added as fear amongst whistleblowers intensifies with murder attempts, fear of unemployment, and other threats.

Audit reports that are supposedly objective, she mentioned, are now being weaponized which ‌"devalues" corruption. And with rampant disinformation, factual and independent audit reports, copies, and opinions are being attacked.

Meanwhile, Mendoza views the growing corruption susceptibility as cultural and contemporary and that the youth’s role is integral in anti-corruption.

“So napakalaki ng role ng youth dito. […] Ang paglaban sa disinformation, cultural din. Kaya kailangan, kayong mga kabataan, kayo ang may bagong lingo. Kapag ang misinformation ay gumagamit ng ganiyang lebel, kailangan parehas ang lebel ng mag-co-correct ng impormasyon,” she pointed out.

In the final leg of her lecture, Mendoza challenged the youth’s responsibility in the fight against disinformation, promoting integrity in governance, and tightening the push for anti-corruption efforts in the country.

𝗙𝗢𝗜 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝗰𝘂𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶-𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻; 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗴𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗽 𝗷𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹

Freedom of Information (FOI) - Project Management Office Division chief Krizia Casey Avejar said on the forum’s panel titled Philippines Commitment to Anti-Corruption, the pending FOI bill in the country, which has been sitting for over 30 years, is still in question.

Avejar mentioned that mandated FOI operations are limited which only covers the executive branch of the government, lacking transparency in the legislative and judiciary.

In turn, she called for the youth sector’s representation as seen in the last Presidential elections with around 30 percent of the 67.5 million registered voters aged 18 to 30.

“Malaki ang part po, para magkaroon tayo ng batas, ay maging active ang ating youth sector in lobbying for the passage of the FOI bill,” she added.

Under Executive Order No. 02, s. 2016, “FOI allows Filipino citizens to request information about government transactions and operations, provided that it shall not put into jeopardy privacy and matters of national security.”

Nasserudin Dunding, commissioner of the Bangsamoro Youth Commission (BYC), shared the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) parliament’s manifestations toward an Anti-Corruption Office in the region, which would oversee investigations, complaints, and other corruption-related practices.

The BYC’s Governance Agenda Center has also organized and accredited around 700 youth organizations in BARMM in partnership in securing and looking after local government units (LGUs) in special geographic areas in Mindanao.

“People should realize through conversation that like violence we cannot normalize corruption. […] Hindi pwedeng iyong mga susunod na henerasyon ay patuloy lang natin manahin ‘yung parehong problema ng society natin,” they added.

Dunding also emphasized the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) budget allocation of 10 percent under Sangguniang Kabataan Reform Act of 2015. This enables a progressive policy towards youth engagement to participate in good governance and recognizes their role in nation-building.

“We look at our mechanism on anti-corruption the same with the issues of young people, women, and PWDs. […] Wala po dapat kumukurap, lalong lalo na sa grupo ng mga kabataan na tayo, we [should] keep on establishing ourselves as an active citizen,” Dunding added.

𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗻𝘀, 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗘𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗲𝗰 𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘂𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻

Councilor Tobit Cruz of Taytay, Rizal pressed youth attendees to engage in government transparency and hopes that the change will come in this generation.

“I hope that as progressive young people, active in your organization, do try to attend your SK assemblies, write letters to your public officials, demand for transparency and accountability. Okay lang mag-call out kasi responsibilidad natin bantayan sila dahil pera natin ‘yung pinangpapasweldo natin sa kanila,” Cruz added.

Pakil, Laguna Mayor Vincent Soriano also pushed for the passage of the FOI bill to promote transparency in the procurement process in LGUs. The municipality of Pakil is the first LGU in CALABARZON to pass their FOI ordinance, Isabela City in Basilan being the first nationwide.

“Imagine, thousands of LGUs in our country, millions and millions of pesos will be saved because of this level of transparency. [...] What we need to do is to remove the opportunity for our people to become corrupt and to ‘corrupt’ those who are in the government,” Mayor Soriano said.

Aldrin Soriano, municipal councilor of Mangaldan in Pangasinan and former ABS-CBN reporter, said that digitalization of ordinances dissemination will encourage more interaction from the youth through Facebook and TikTok. He also campaigned for more youth representation to run in the upcoming Barangay and SK Elections in 2023.

Dexter Galban, Assistant Secretary for Youth Affairs and Special Concerns of the Department of Education urged the youth to keep on learning and engaging with anti-corruption proceedings.

Galban added that citizens should know how corruption works, how to formulate reparations, who your allies are, and how collaborative efforts are critical in its disintegration.

𝗚𝗼𝗼𝗱𝗚𝗼𝘃𝗣𝗛 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁

GoodGovPH also launched their 2023 project “Mabuting Pamamahala Araw-araw” during the last leg of the event in line with their Youth for Integrity and Anti-Corruption in Governance campaign.

It seeks to lead educational awareness campaigns in anti-corruption and lobbying representation in the national anti-corruption council.

GoodGovPH is a youth-led organization that pursues the principles of good governance in the Philippines through civic engagements, advocating policies, and educational training.

Graphics: Cathlyn De Raya