Gov't launches national anti-corruption strategy

MANILA, Philippines — The government has launched the development of the National Anti-Corruption Strategy (NACS), which aims to promote transparency and further hold corrupt government officials accountable.

Organized by the Presidential United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), the launch was led by officials from various government agencies, including the Office of the Ombudsman, Sandiganbayan, Department of Justice, and the Commission on Audit at the GSIS headquarters on Wednesday.

In an ambush interview, Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs Jesse Andres said the NACS is a holistic government approach “to address corruption in all aspects of governance.”

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He mentioned that the UNCAC outlined five pillars for the NACS: preventive measures, criminalization and law enforcement, international cooperation, asset recovery, and technical assistance and information exchange.

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When asked if this national framework will lead to the prosecution of more corrupt government officials in the country, Andres answered in the affirmative.

“The five pillars of the strategy include the second pillar after preventive measures, which is criminalization. We have to strengthen the capabilities of law enforcement agents on investigation and accountability. So part of the strategy is increasing those capabilities,” he said.

Andres said the development of NACS can be completed within a year.

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In his remarks during the launch program, Jesus Crispin Remulla, head of the Office of the Ombudsman, which is tasked with prosecuting government officials accused of graft and corruption, said that UNCAC is a reminder that “fighting corruption cannot rely solely on investigation and prosecution.”

He said the initiative also requires “prevention, institutional resilience, and citizen participation.”

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“Above all, it requires government agencies that strive for better service delivery,” he said.

“As an active participant in the UNCAC, the challenge for the Philippines is how we translate these commitments into better institutions that ordinary Filipinos can actually rely on,” Remulla pointed out.

The UNCAC is an international anti-corruption treaty adhered to by more than 190 countries.

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The Philippines signed the UNCAC in 2003 and ratified it in 2006. /mr