Restoring faith in government

Her six-point campaign platform is now a ten-point agenda. In her inaugural address, President Gloria Arroyo spelled out what would be her legacy after six years in office: (1) six to ten million jobs; (2) strong middle class by supporting three million entrepreneurs; (3) agribusinesses in one to two million hectares; (4) education for all, with a computer in every school; (5) balanced budget, with the right revenues collected and spent on the right things; (6) nationwide linkup via transport and digital facilities; (7) water and electricity in all barangays; (8) decongested Metro Manila, by spreading economic activity; (9) modernized, computerized elections; and (10) peace and unity, with insurgencies solved and political divisions reconciled.

Mrs. Arroyo had won, by a 1.1-million margin, on those promises. Her more than 12 million votes is the highest in any election. Still the truth remains that she got not a majority but a 31.5-percent plurality. Her closest rival, Fernando Poe Jr., garnered 11 million, or 29 percent. In aiming for reconciliation, it would be worthwhile for Mrs. Arroyo seriously to fulfill Poe’s platform as well – that of restoring faith in government.

The President’s jealously protective aides will quibble that fulfilling the 10-point agenda can ultimately lead to restored faith in government. And well it could. But by keeping in mind the fact that a third of the electorate voted for her rival precisely because of lost faith, she can sharpen all the more the focus of her agenda. That is, she has to exude trust, in order to mobilize conflicting sectors towards her goals.

Mrs. Arroyo perhaps is aware of such need. She acknowledged not only Poe, but her three other contenders as well, in her inaugural speech. They all fought with conviction, she said. Now she wants them to fight with her, with the same energy, for common aims.

Restoring faith in government is basically making it clean, caring and competent. It must shed its corrupt, abusive and inefficient ways.

That could come firstly with an election shakeup. The perception is that Comelec appointees not only are Malacañang lackeys, but also fogies for flawed deals. The local election, meanwhile, was marked by less guns and goons, but more gold. Vote-buying reached an unprecedented P500-P2,000 per head. It wasn’t for lack of laws than of will. The Comelec needs recharging to ensure that, in the next election, candidates and voters would abide solely by conscience and not compensation.

Corruption infects the central and local bureaucracies. Transparency International has ranked RP among the dirtiest because the private sector allows it. Corruption cannot be licked by mere lifestyle checks on middle managers, a few cases before the Sandiganbayan, or repeated pledges of cleanups. Victims must be afforded easier ways to report cases, free from reprisal and with swift justice as reward. All national and local offices must be compelled to adopt e-procurement for transparency in public biddings. Releases of budgets and Internal Revenue Allotments can be withheld for failure to comply with anti-graft measures.

The Ombudsman needs more funding. It has only 37 investigators watching over 1.5 million public officials and employees. By contrast, Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Graft, whose former chief is now an Ombudsman consultant, has 800 agents in a bureaucracy of 175,000, or a 1:200 ratio. A recharged Ombudsman can haul government thieves to jail in droves, and send home the message that it’s not "business as usual" but "under new management."

Presidents have always feared touching the Congress pork barrel. It has come to a point where pork is even used to entice legislators ironically to pass the very measures to improve tax collection and spending. Every year P20 billion goes to pork – P200 million each for 24 senators and P65 million each for 240 congressmen. Despite claims to merely identifying the projects and never touching the money, they take kickbacks from pork. If it is scrapped, political dynasties will no longer be lured into Congress. Only the best and brightest, with clean intentions, will vie for position, and think of reformist laws instead of enrichment projects.

Corruption is a stumbling block to peace and order. Surprise visits to police stations are not enough to keep policemen on their toes. Neither are occasional sackings of officers or awardings of the exemplary. The entire National Police and Armed Forces need cleasing of thieving officers, and insulating from politicians. And then, the people can enjoy the benefits of sincere police and military work, instead of chiefs striving only to please their patrons.

Poverty is an offshoot of corruption. Government consistently has failed to collect the right taxes and fees because of extortionate personnel at Customs, BIR, and all agencies of government. It thus never has enough money to spend on the right things. The poor stay poor because of sloppy education, health and environment care, housing and infrastructures. Tax agencies must be reorganized, despite resistance of personnel crying job security. They have stolen enough from state coffers to live securely beyond normal lifespans, and dished out enough dismal work.

Poverty is also an outcome of incompetence. Red tape and the poor investment climate discourage business growth and deprive the poor of quick services. Some of these arise from Cabinet members who were placed in position by vested interests, or by bureaucrats who no longer find joy in serving. They have to go, along with elected and appointed officials who look at positions as licenses for them or their children to sell drugs or wage gunfights in posh subdivisions.

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Catch Sapol ni Jarius Bondoc, Saturdays at 8 a.m., on DWIZ (882-AM).

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