I wish to inform the public that I convened yesterday the Department’s Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries along with other key officers in preparing our inputs to the Government Anti-Corruption Program.  This meeting follows the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) Seminar Workshop on Eradicating Corruption Through Integrity Development held from 15 to 17 December 2004.

The Department is committed in this drive of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo through the PAGC to eliminate graft and corruption and shall work vigorously in this multi sectoral effort.

I wish to stress that the Department is in the forefront of the delivery of government services abroad.    And this drive of the PAGC must be reflected in concrete actions to show to the people as well as to the international community that the government is serious in its drive to eliminate graft and corruption.

Towards this objection, I have directed the key Department officials to undertake the doables in the entire workings of the Department in order to actualize the recommendations in the PAGC seminar workshop.     We shall identify the specific areas in the Department where the recommendations of the PAGC seminar workshop may be applied before the end of this year.   We shall work in four specific areas, namely, how to prevent corruption from happening in the Department, how to deter corruption, how can we enhance the awareness of people with regards to actions that constitute corruption and to government efforts and programs to combat it, and how to expand institutional partnership between the DFA and other government agencies.

I have also directed the Undersecretaries and Assistant Secretaries to define the role of the DFA in support of the UN efforts to fight corruption particularly in the workings of the United Nations Commission on Anti-Corruption or UNTAC.

Specifically, I instructed the key Department officials to harmonize our working relations with other government agencies in response to concerns that are related to anti-corruption, such as, money laundering, human trafficking and the legal framework that are need to support to these efforts.

This will be a continuing effort for indeed fighting graft and corruption in government is a big challenge for the Department and will need all the dedication and commitment of its officers and staff. END
 
 

/jay