Davide tells gov’t: Push transparency

Governments must remain transparent as they try to meet the evolving demands of governance, including fighting the scourge of terrorism, Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. said yesterday.

The tough responses being considered by governments in battling terrorism, for one, "underscore the need for transparency and accountability in government affairs," he said in a speech at the International Conference on Public Administration Plus Governance at the Manila Hotel.

Governments should always try to find the balance between governing public affairs and giving their citizens more meaningful roles, he added.

Meanwhile, Malacañang yesterday challenged the findings of London-based Transparency International Inc., which ranked the Philippines 11th most corrupt country.

In the Transparency International survey, the Philippines shared the 11th spot with such countries as Pakistan, Romania and Zambia, only 10 notches away from Bangladesh which was tagged as the most corrupt nation in the world.

"We would like Transparency International to be transparent. We’re not sure about their methods, the questions used in the survey," Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said.

In the same speech, Davide said only the sustained participation of the public would enable governments to respond adequately to "new, more complex demands posed by a globalized world, without sacrificing the rights of people and their demands for accountability and transparency."

Such demands, he said, "constitute a balancing act between opening up public functions and regulating private affairs, all with the end of ensuring the people’s development in the midst of new sciences and fresh knowledge. This is, indeed, not simply public administration, but public administration plus governance."

Davide was a recipient of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award for government service in August. The award is Asia’s equivalent of the Nobel Prize.

In an interview with foreign correspondents in early July, US Ambassador Francis Ricciardone said the Philippines was losing out to other countries in luring foreign investors because of massive corruption in the judiciary and in the government.

Ricciardone’s statement drew sharp criticism from Davide, who said the ambassador broke protocol by not informing him formally before speaking to the media.

In the 2002 Transpareceny International survey, Finland emerged as the most corruption-free country, scoring 9.7 points on the 10-point scale. In contrast, Bangladesh got a 1.2 score while the Philippines got 2.6.

The Philippines slipped from the CPI (corruption perception index) score it had in 2001 and its overall ranking slid from No. 65 in 2001 to No. 77 in the 2002 survey.