DND to ask Transparency Int'l to review 'corruption' report

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of National Defense (DND) will invite international watchdog Transparency International UK to discuss the measures it implemented to prevent corruption.

DND Assistant Secretary Patrick Velez said the invitation would allow the group to validate the findings of their report that states that the Philippines’ defense sector is at “very high risk” of corruption.

“What we would want to do is invite also the Transparency International so that they can validate [their findings],” Velez said in a press conference on Wednesday.

“We welcome their efforts (to look) at the status of our procurement,” he added.

The Transparency International UK said in a report on Tuesday that the Philippines is among the countries where risk of corruption in the defense sector is “very high.”

The group cited the alleged lack of transparency in the sale of military assets and the weak oversight authority of Congress.

The Philippines belonged to “band E,” described as a group of countries with “very high risk” of corruption.

Also in “band E” were Afghanistan, Bahrain, Cote d'Ivoire, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Morocco, Nigeria, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Uganda, Uzbekistan, Venezuela and Zimbabwe.

Defense officials are confident that the assessment on the Philippines would improve once they cite the procurement reforms they undertook.

“If this is revalidated, we are confident that we can go to Band B, along with the other countries,” DND spokesman Peter Galvez said.

“Band B” pertains to countries with “low risk” and consists of Austria, Norway, South Korea, Sweden, Taiwan, United Kingdom and the United States.

DND Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said reports about the corruption controversies involving some military officers may have influenced the findings of the study.

“We have instituted several reforms. Even our bidding process right now is very transparent. We invite the media, we invite the civil society organizations,” he said.

The groupings in the Transparency International report are band A or “very low risk,” band B or “low risk,” band C or “moderate risk,” band D or “high risk,” band E or “very high risk” and band F or “critical risk.”

The group analyzed 82 countries that were selected according to the size of their arms trade, the absolute and per capita size of the military, size of their security sector.

In its study, Transparency International UK said political corruption risks are the most prevalent in the Philippines due to lack of congressional oversight.

It claimed that some members of the Philippine government use their powers to influence defense policy.

The study also cited investigations which found that officers involved in the internal audit of defense expenditure were “heavily implicated in widespread corruption.”

The report claimed there is evidence indicating that proceeds from the sale of military assets are “neither publicly scrutinized nor subject to official audit mechanisms.”

“In addition, off-budget military expenditures are a common occurrence,” it read.

As for personnel risk, the report said there is no evidence indicating that the senior officials’ commitment against corruption has been translated to reforms.

The study also cited the lack of clarity in personnel numbers and anti-corruption trainings for commanding officers.

As regards procurement corruption risk, Transparency International said corruption in the defense procurement process has not been adequately addressed.

“In practice, procedures are applied inconsistently and not all defense purchases are made public,” the study said.