BY SAMMY JULIAN
CHRONIC graft and corruption, growth-retarding insurgencies in the countryside, brazen disregard of the Constitution and human rights – all fostered by a rotten system of governance in the country. Will these ever end?
For Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, the answer is a resounding yes.
So what exactly needs to be done?
The former senator emphasized the need for scams and other unresolved controversies such as the ZTE, World Bank, Fertilizer Fund – to be dealt with by a leadership that has the will to enforce the law and punish the guilty.
Roxas noted that the entrenched nature of systemic corruption requires boldness in implementation – incrementalism is unlikely to work.
Also, the culture of impunity that has coddled violators of the fundamental law and those who disregard human rights must be put to an end.
Leaders of proven competence and integrity – not lackeys of a crooked administration – must be placed in institutions that protect the public interest such as the Ombudsman, Government Service Insurance System, Social Security System and Department of Justice, according to Roxas.
Furthermore, the bureaucracy must stand on the foundation of meritocracy and professionalism to break the cycle of nepotism, patronage and incompetence.
Roxas likewise believes in the importance of reform. And that, exactly, is what needs to be done for change to occur.
He stressed such reforms should involve changing government structures and procedures, placing greater focus on internal competition and incentives in the public sector, and strengthening internal and external checks and balances.
As a complement to these broader reforms, Roxas stressed that the careful and transparent implementation of enforcement measures, such as prosecuting some prominent corrupt figures, can also have an impact.
As a fish starts to rot from the head, so does a corrupt government starts to rot from its topmost leadership. The Department of Interior and Local Government chief knows that to achieve the dream of upright governance, change must start from the top.
In sum, Roxas maintains that corruption is a symptom of fundamental economic, political and institutional causes. Addressing corruption effectively means tackling these underlying causes.
According to him, the major emphasis must be put on prevention – that is, on reforming economic policies, institutions and incentives. Efforts to improve enforcement of anti-corruption legislation using the police, ethics offices, or special watchdog agencies within the government will not bear fruit otherwise.
Still, Roxas has not lost hope in what is good and noble about the Filipino. He believes that with the right leadership and the collective efforts of the citizenry, we can bring back the integrity of public service, revise the crooked culture and restore the people’s faith in the government.
For the former senator, spurred by the massive pork barrel scam, the time is ripe for change./PN
