STRENGTHENING
THE CIVIL SOCIETY’S ROLE IN THE MCC COMPACT PROCESS
The
Transparency and Accountability Network (TAN), together with CODE-NGO,
International Center for Innovation, Transformation and Excellence in
Governance (INCITEGov), Lawyers' League for Liberty (Libertas), Makati
Business Club (MBC), Pambansang
Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka (PAKISAMA) and Transparency
International-Philippines (TI-Philippines), organized a CSO Consultation
Workshop for the MCC Compact Proposal on August 8, 2008.The consultation-workshop was organized
to come up with a consolidated civil society recommendations for the
Compact Program of the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).
The
event was attended by various civil society organizations working on the
MCC themes-- Ruling Justly, Investing
in People, and Economic Freedom.The key common development issues that were identified from the
workshops are the following: (1) Weak governance and lack of transparency;
and (2) Inequitable distribution of wealth.In response to these constraints, the following recommendations were
put forward as critical components of the MCC Compact Program: (1) Improve
transparency; public disclosure policy (pass the Freedom to Info Bill) ;(2)
Improve delivery of basic services (health, education, women) (3) Ensure meaningful
participation of CSO in MCC processes, programs and projects; (4) Develop a
'balanced' indicator system for MCC; and (5) Institutionalize CSO
Consultation.
The
MCC Compact Team also visited the Philippines on August 11-15, 2008.Aside from meeting with representatives
of government agencies, the MCC compact team also organized several
thematic workshops that included representatives of civil society
groups.Below are some of the CSOs
who participated in the thematic workshops:
Fiscal
Constraints: TAN, INCITEGov
·Infrastructure Constraints: MBC, TAN
·Constraints in Agricultural Productivity and Food
Security: CODE NGO, PAKISAMA
·Constraints to Poverty Eradication:CODE NGO, TI Philippines
·Towards Good Governance and Judicial Reforms: TAN,
TI Philippines
In
the next few months, TAN, with partner civil society organizations, will
organize Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) per sector—Fiscal Reforms,
Infrastructure, Poverty Eradication, Good Governance, etc., to thresh out
mechanisms in institutionalizing civil society participation and refine the
identified civil society recommendations.
June
30, 2008
The
Transparency and Accountability Network received a special
recognition and citation from the Department of Public Works and Highways
for its various efforts and involvements geared towards good governance
such as Bantay Lansangan, Access to Information advocacy, development of
lifestyle check manual for civil society organizations, among other
initiatives. The award was presented on June 23, 2008, during the
celebration of DPWH's 110th Anniversary. Fellow awardees were TAN's very
own Concerned Citizens of Abra for Good Government and Procurement Watch,
Inc.
We
are very happy to inform everyone of the newest members of the Transparency
and Accountability Network. In an Executive Council (EC) meeting held in
April 2008, the TAN EC approved the membership of the following
organizations:
1.
Ateneo de Naga University Knowledge for Development Center (KDC)
2. Notre Dame University KDC
3. Palawan State University KDC
4. Saint Paul University Philippines KDC
5. Silliman University KDC
6. University of San Carlos KDC
7. University of Southeastern Philippines KDC
8. Western Mindanao State University KDC
9. Citizens' Network for Good Governance
From
a network of 25 member organizations, TAN now has 34 member
organizations nationwide! To our newest members, welcome to the TAN family
and we look forward to a fruitful sharing of information and experiences
with you in our fight for anti-corruption and our pursuit of
good governance!
__________________________________________________
May
15, 2008
TAN
commends the Department of Health for its commitment to transparency
through its release of a public disclosure policy. For more information on
the DOH disclosure policy, click
here.
The
Lawyers' League for Liberty (Libertas), in partnership with Transparency
and Accountability Network, Alternative Law Groups (ALG), Action for
Economic Reform (AER), and Access to Information Network (ATIN) will be
holding a public forum on EXECUTIVE PRIVILEGE AND THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT
TO KNOW on 14 April 2008, 8am to 1:30pm, Richmonde Hotel, Ortigas
Center.
For
the Primer on the Executive Privilege by Atty. Carlos P. Medina,
Jr. click here.
CIVIL SOCIETY
SEARCH COMMITTEE STILL OPEN TO RECEIVING NOMINATIONS TO COMELEC
The Civil
Society Search Committee (CSSC) is still open to receiving nominations
from civil society, business, professional or non-governmental
organizations for the existing vacancy for Commissioner of the Commission
on Elections. Candidate with IT and strong management background is
preferred.
Civil Society Search Committee Solicits
Nominations for Comelec
In
view of the existing vacancies for Commissioner and Chairman of the
Commission on Elections, and the upcoming two vacancies for Commissioners following
the February 2, 2008 retirements of Commissioners Resurreccion Borra and
Florentino Tuason, the Civil Society Search Committee (CSSC) is open
to receiving nominations from civil society, business, professional or
non-governmental organizations for the following positions to the
Commission on Elections:
One (1) Chairman
(for appointment after February 2, 2008)
Three (3)
Commissioners (one immediately, two after February 2, 2008)
Deadline for
submission of nominations is October 15, 2007
Sr. Sonia
Aldeguer (Cebu Citizen’s Involvement and Maturation for People Empowerment
and Liberation)
Feliciano M.
Bautista (Integrated Bar of the Philippines)
Ramon C. Casiple
(Institute for Political and Electoral Reforms)
Edgar O. Chua
(management Association of the Philippines)
Amb. Henrietta
T. de Villa (Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting)
Edward S. Go
(Namfrel)
Christian S.
Monsod (One Voice)
Tony G.M. La
Viña (Transparency and Accountability Network)
Bertie A. Lim
(Makati Business Club)
Sr. Rosanne
Mallillin (Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines-NASSA)
Mahar Mangahas
(Social Weather Stations)
Benjamin T.
Tolosa (Volunteers for Clean Elections)
The Civil
Society Search Committee Secretariat
c/o Transparency and Accountability
Network
Center for Social Policy Building, Room 209
Social Development Complex, Ateneo de Manila University
Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City
Telefax: (02) 426 5927
Email: tan_secretariat@hotmail.com
PRESS STATEMENT
13 October 2006
Saddened
and dismayed by the recent resolution of the Ombudsman clearing all COMELEC
officials of criminal liability in the MegaPacific case, the Transparency
and Accountability Network (TAN), the largest anti-corruption network of
NGOs, academic and research institutions, is reconsidering its relationship
with the Office of the Ombudsman.
TAN
sits on the Ombudsman's Steering Committee for the €2.9 million European
Commission project to strengthen its prosecutorial and investigative
capacities. It is the civil society representative in the Ombudsman-led
National Anti-Corruption Program of Action and is working on a Lifestyle
Check Tool with the cooperation of the Ombudsman.
TAN
invited the Tanodbayan to a dialog with civil society to better explain
their resolution. After agreeing to participate to talk to members of civil
society, Tanodbayan reversed herself and backed out of the dialog, saying
she had nothing further to say outside of the contents of the resolution
and her statements to the press last October 10.
Without
the Ombudsman, TAN will be holding a forum on the Ombudsman's decision on
October 16, 2006, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Sapphire Room of the Crowne Plaza
Hotel, Ortigas Center. The forum is entitled, "A Merciless Analysis of
the Ombudsman Resolution on the MegaPacific/COMELEC Case."
A Merciless
Analysis of the Ombudsman Resolution on
After
having committed to dialog with members of civil society to explain their
Supplemental Resolution on the Comelec/Mega Pacific case, Tanodbayan
Marceditas Gutierrez backed out saying that they had no more to say on the
case. The Supplemental Resolution cleared all Comelec officials of
criminal liability in the failed bidding for automated counting machines to
be used for the May 2004 elections. Vincent Lazatin, executive
director of the Transparency and Accountability Network (TAN) which
requested for the dialog, expressed his disappointment in a letter to Gutierrez.
In his letter, Lazatin said, “The dialog would have given (the Ombudsman)
the opportunity to respond to the many unanswered questions of civil
society.”
“We
were giving her an opportunity to convince us of their findings and not be
tried in media,” said Lazatin. The release of the September 27, 2006
Supplemental Resolution stunned and shocked civil society activists and
Comelec observers. It reversed a June 28, 2006 resolution which found
that there was probable cause to charge members of the Comelec Bids and
Awards Committee (BAC) for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt
Practices Act, and found that there were grounds for an impeachment case
Comelec Commissioner Resurreccion Borra. The Supplemental Resolution
went so far as to state there was not an “iota of evidence” to either file
charges against the BAC or Borra.
“This
reversal and Gutierrez’s refusal to dialog with us seriously shakes the
foundation of confidence and respect that had been built up since the time
of Simeon Marcelo,” said Lazatin. Simeon Marcelo was appointed
Ombudsman in 2002 and was cited by TAN in 2004 for his tireless
contributions to the anti-corruption effort and work with civil
society. In 2005, less than 3 years into his 7 year term, Marcelo
abruptly announced his resignation, amidst speculation that he was under
pressure to dismiss high profile cases including the Comelec/Mega Pacific
case.
TAN
works with the Ombudsman on several fronts including sitting on the
Steering Committee of the €2.9 million European Commission project,
developing a lifestyle check tool, and acting as the civil society
representative in the Ombudsman-led National Anti-Corruption Program of
Action. It has partnered with several government agencies to address
the problem of corruption, including the Bureau of Internal Revenue,
Department of Health, Department of Education, and the Department of Public
Works and Highways. It has also monitored and called for more
transparency in the appointment process for independent commissions and
bodies like the Supreme Court, the Comelec and the Ombudsman.
·February 14-16, 2006 - The Judicial
and Bar Council conducted interviews of the candidates for Supreme Court
Associate Justice
·March 27, 2006 - President Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo appointed Court Administrator Presbitero Velasco 15th member of the
Supreme Court (note: Arroyo's deadline for appointing SC Associate Justice
based on the Constitution's prescriptive period is March 20, 2006)
·October 4, 2006 - The Judicial and Bar Council
holds consultation meeting with various sectors in Region X regarding the
search process for vacancies in the judiciary. SCAW representatives (Toix
Cerna and Atty. Luie Guia) attended the activity. >>
·October 30, 2006 - Deadline for application/ recommendation
to Supreme Court Chief Justice position
The Transparency and
Accountability Network (TAN) is a coalition of multi-sectoral
organizations, which seeks to contribute significantly to the reduction
of corruption in the Philippines. It catalyzes and advances a
comprehensive and multi-sectoral transparency and accountability strategy
founded on the prevention and prosecution of corruption, and the
promotion of a corruption-intolerant society.
In the year 2000, TAN
emerged within the context of heightened concern over the lack of transparency
and accountability in governance, which ultimately led to People Power
II. Various groups frequently met in the course of organizing and
attending various conferences on anti-corruption. During these meetings,
the idea of forming a loose network to coordinate anti-corruption
initiatives gradually evolved. The Network was finally formalized in
November 2000 with 19 organizations as founding members.
back
Room
209, Ateneo Center for Social Policy and Public Affairs, Social Development
Complex, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City
