DILG putting measures in place to promote transparency in ARMM

Manila, Philippines - With the elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) now synchronized with the mid-term elections in 2013, the national government has started implementing measures to promote transparency and accountability in the region.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo directed the ARMM leadership to stop payment orders against all checks to be drawn from the bank accounts of the ARMM government and all its offices.

Robredo, as DILG chief, is supervising operations in the ARMM as provided by an executive order issued by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo following the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao allegedly committed by the Ampatuan clan who had lorded it over the region for several years.

In a report, Robredo said ARMM leaders were also asked to direct all regional department secretaries and heads of offices to submit an inventory of personnel and properties, financial reports, and status reports on programs and projects.

Robredo said the ARMM government must regularly interact with the media so the public can be informed about its various development initiatives.

Robredo said another measure to ensure transparency in the regional government is the posting on the ARMM official website of bids and the region’s annual budget, along with issuances and directives on the grant of travel allowances.

He said they have also set up a procurement system that conforms to Republic Act 9184 or the Procurement Act.

He added that the DILG has made efforts to introduce and sustain needed reforms so good governance would reign in the region.

“With the reduction of poverty nowhere in sight and the elections appearing not to be the cure to the worsening poverty situation in the region, key reforms have to be initiated outside of the electoral exercise to bring ARMM to the right track of improving development outcomes,” he said.

Robredo said local autonomy is not – and should never be – an excuse for any local official to abuse power vested in him or her by law.  

Such excesses, he said, would neither be tolerated nor treated with kid gloves by the Aquino administration.

In fact, Robredo said that last April the DILG and the Department of Justice recommended the filing of criminal and administrative charges against some ARMM officials for dishonesty, abuse of authority, corruption, and unjustifiable abuse and utilization of the resources of the regional government.

These officials include jailed former ARMM governor Rizaldy Ampatuan and at least 10 of his former staffers for alleged total disregard of budgeting, accounting and auditing rules and regulations for some P2.559 billion in regional funds for 2008 and 2009.