Open Government Partnership (OGP) is a global initiative promoting transparency, fighting graft, and improving governance at both the national and subnational levels, of which the Philippines is among the eight founding nations alongside Brazil, Indonesia, Mexico, Norway, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman chairs OGP in the Philippines. Until now, however, we have yet to hear of the OGP’s role in eliminating extensive corruption in the country’s bureaucracy under the auspices of the Department of Budget (DBM), which dispenses budgets and funds. We should congratulate, however, a dozen or so of our cities and towns that, according to the DBM secretary, were accepted into the ranks of transparent and accountable governance for promoting transparency and fighting graft.
But what about the more than 300 other government offices and agencies, which in total suck an estimated 20 percent of the national budget? Unless DBM has a game plan to end these corrupt practices at source, here and now, let’s stop lulling ourselves with the isolated performance of a few government units that have a conscience, lest we become a laughingstock in our helplessness.
MARVEL K. TAN,
CPA