Road to open governance: Just a paper trail?

Last of three parts

THE Philippine Government believes that open government will curtail the ability for corrupt officials and those interested in political patronage at public expense, to operate with impunity. Open government also plays a key role in empowering the poor and strengthening the constituency for reform.
— Philippine Government Action Plan 2012 for the Open Government Partnership

IF the Philippines’ Global Integrity Report ratings are anything to go by, we have much to live down in terms of great roadmaps going nowhere. The country consistently ranks ahead of three-quarters of the world in anti-corruption legislation. But when it comes to enforcement and implementation, it’s the reverse: seven of every 10 nations get the job done better than us.

So both the government and the governed must struggle against centuries of ningas-kugon quick-to-fizzle enthusiasm, and show that PGAP is not just a paper trail but an honest-to-goodness roadmap to open governance. Especially Part II titled “New Commitments for Open Governance.” Here are comments on the draft pledges, which may still be revised until December:

Escalate Fiscal Transparency: On publishing a fiscal transparency index, there should be rewards for exemplars and sanctions for laggards. Ditto for other initiatives, especially sanctions: no pain, no gain.

Promote Access to Government Information: It is disturbing that this most crucial commitment did not mention enacting the Freedom of Information Act. If there is any single action that the citizenry and CSOs should push as its topmost priority—far more important than RH, ARMM OICs, even the GAA—it is the FOI bill.

If President Aquino fails to support this crucial legislation which he promised during his campaign and was nearly passed during the Arroyo Administration, then we have to conclude that PNoy has decided to put political advantage over good governance. And PGAP is just another list of promises that can be broken.

While we wait for the FOI law, it would be great if the President and the Civil Service Commission could issue joint or separate instructions mandating public access to information, backed by sanctions.

Philippine Open Governance Partnership: As the plan says, “Government will engage a broad spectrum of national and local CSOs, business groups, academe and other stakeholders; as well as reach out to the Legislature, the Judiciary, Constitutional Bodies and Local Governments for them to take part in open government endeavors.” The Partnership “will be tapped in plotting open government reforms in the medium-term, in monitoring performance and in surfacing broader areas where interventions need to be escalated.”

Needless to say, this laudable idea should not suffer the dissembling which has delayed, if not derailed the FOI bill. This time CSOs should not wait for the Palace, and instead proposed an urgent but doable timetable, priority agenda, a truly inclusive membership process, and other essential components of the Partnership. Malacañang will, of course, finalize the actual mechanics, but get the draft done ASAP so there are no excuses to delay the forum’s creation.

Expand Participatory Budgeting: Here’s another pledge that CSOs should hold the Aquino Administration to its word. “Before end-2012, the Government, in consultation with CSOs, will craft a roadmap to expand and institutionalize participatory budgeting to the other phases of the budget cycle and to the national, regional and local levels.” Since Congress is now rubber-stamping the national budget, the citizenry must now demand a direct say in the way our taxes are spent.

Local Government-Level Poverty Reduction and Empowerment Plans: This pledge calls for “600 qualified LGUs and partner-CSOs be identified; community facilitators will be recruited and trained … From January to July 2012, community workshops will be conducted in drafting community poverty reduction plans that will be incorporated into the proposed National Budget for 2013.” How will these groups be chosen to ensure that this initiative does not become an electioneering scheme for 2013?

Empowerment Fund for CSOs: It is good that CSOs will get funding to truly participate in governance. But again, let’s make sure this public-private partnership isn’t delayed like the infrastructure PPP. And as with the previous pledge, this empowerment fund should not be a disguised campaign kitty.

Social Audit for Public Infrastructure: There is a precursor for this in the past administration: the Pro-Performance System headed by the Presidential Management Staff and including Church, business, media and other sectors, convened to monitor and push along key public works projects. Since this has been done before, there is no reason for inordinate delays.

For reasons of space and before the power runs out due to Typhoon Pedring, this column will be send without the final PGAP elements, which will be discussed in a future column. The plan will continue being tweaked till December, so those who care about good governance and people empowerment should make their voices heard.

Let this Tuwid na Daan roadmap truly bring People Power into the halls of government.

(The first two parts were published last Friday and Monday.) –RICARDO SALUDO, Manila Times

Ricardo Saludo heads the Center for Strategy, Enterprise & Intelligence, which publishes The CenSEI Report on global, national and business issues every week. For copies, please email report@censeisolutions.com.