PRESIDENT Marcos Jr. yesterday called for a people-centered approach and the practice of core values that would help promote integrity to prevent and address corruption vulnerabilities in public office.
“We must shift away from merely enforcing compliance with laws, rules and regulations, to steering our people towards the practice of integrity in their daily lives,” the President said during the 5th State Conference on the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) Implementation and Review in Malacañang.
Marcos said integrity is rooted in values of “katapatan, malasakit, pakikipag-kapwa, and bayanihan (loyalty, care, fellowship and cooperation)” which should be reinforced and sustained.
“This is the kind of transformation that we envision, which guides not only our systems of governance but our behaviors as citizens of this Bagong Pilipinas (new Philippines),” he added.
The President said that to build a government founded on integrity and accountability, the government must adopt comprehensive and interconnected strategies, such as the two-pronged strategy of digitalization and people participation that it employed against corruption.
Marcos said by streamlining and digitizing government processes, avenues of corruption would be minimized, and government transactions would be more transparent and accessible to the public.
It likewise improves the efficiency of services and fosters trust and accountability between government and the public.
This, he said, is the logic behind the passage of the New Government Procurement Act, which establishes standardized electronic bidding and payment systems through the enhanced Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System.
On the other hand, the President said that by promoting people participation, the public is empowered and encouraged to participate in good governance through the electronic Freedom of Information platform.
“It is done by promoting full public disclosure of information in the way that we do business in government,” Marcos said.
During the event, the President reaffirmed the Philippines’ commitment to collaborate with the United Nations in fighting corruption.
“By learning from and working with other nations, we strengthen our anti-corruption mechanisms while reaffirming our place as a proactive member of the global community,” Marcos said.
The UNCAC is an international anti-corruption treaty ratified, accepted, approved, and acceded to by 180 countries which aims to promote and strengthen State Parties’ measures to prevent and combat corruption more effectively and efficiently; to facilitate and support international cooperation and technical assistance in preventing and fighting corruption, including asset recovery; and to promote integrity, accountability, and proper management of public affairs and properties.
The government signed the convention on December 9, 2023 and was subsequently ratified by the Senate on November 6, 2006.
