THE Governance Commission for GOCCs (GCG) on Thursday launched the Whistleblowing Web Portal for government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs), which will serve as a venue for concerned citizens and employees to anonymously report corruption in state corporations under the jurisdiction of the GCG.
Senate President Franklin M. Drilon, reacting to the GCG announcement on the whistle-blowing portal, urged government agencies to step up their anticorruption efforts by following the lead of the GCG.
Using the Web portal, whistle-blowers may also follow up on their reports on corruption in the GOCCs by monitoring the status of the actions taken on their reports and by providing additional information to help the GCG investigate and build up cases based on such reports.
Along with the launch of the new Web portal, the GCG issued its revised whistle-blowing policy for the GOCC sector, which provides better protection for whistle-blowers by providing measures against possible retaliation against them and by ensuring the confidentiality of the information given by a whistle-blower, even if he waives his right to anonymity.
The new Web portal—www.whistleblowing.gcg.gov.ph—shall be the primary reporting portal for complaints of corruption and inefficiency against the GOCC sector, their officials and employees, including those of the GCG itself.
However, other reporting channels are still available for whistleblowers, such as face-to-face meetings, e-mail, mail, telephone and fax.
Since 2014, when the GCG launched its original whistle-blowing policy, some 100 reports of corruption had already been received from whistleblowers. These reports could either be dismissed for lack of merit, forwarded to the GOCC concerned for action, investigated upon, or referred to the proper government agency for investigation and prosecution.
The whistle-blowing policy is attuned to the intent of the law creating the GCG to scrutinize the GOCC sector, which had long been perceived to be marred by corruption, inefficiency and nepotism. The GCG, through its mandate to monitor the performance of GOCCs and recommend the merger or outright abolition of some GOCCs and streamline their operations, managed to pull the GOCC sector back to profitability.
In 2014 the GOCC sector registered a net income of P258 billion, with 46 of the 102 remaining GOCCs remitting dividends to the National Treasury. This amount is net of the subsidies granted by the government to some GOCCs performing governmental functions.
Drilon, author of the landmark GOCC Governance Act of 2011, was the guest speaker at the launch of the GCG’s Whistleblowing Web Portal.
Drilon’s GOCC Governance Act of 2011, or Republic Act 10149, introduced reforms in the GOCC sector, which transformed state-run agencies from milking cows of corrupt officials into productive national assets.
Drilon said government offices must “emulate the GCG’s example,” emphasizing that setting up a web-based reporting system, where people can report corruption incidents in a secure manner, will enhance transparency and accountability in government offices. Under GCG’s whistle-blowing portal program, all GOCCs under the regulatory jurisdiction of the GCG is required to have a link in their respective web sites to the launched GCG whistleblowing portal. An accompanying regulation also enjoins the GOCCs to develop and implement their own whistleblowing systems.
“This kind of initiative can be a huge boost in our efforts to rid the government of corrupt officials and employees. We must work on compelling each agency to put up a whistle-blowing online portal in order to encourage our people to speak up and report corruption cases,” Drilon said. “By having concerned individuals who are not afraid to expose or disclose the wrongdoing, our fight against corruption will have a better chance of succeeding.”
“By having concerned individuals who are not afraid to expose or disclose the wrongdoing, our fight against corruption will have a better chance of succeeding.”—Drilon
“Their disclosure will prompt the authorities to take action through investigation and prosecution, thus, saving resources and preventing damage to the organization,” Drilon added.
To encourage people to come forward and speak up, Drilon said it is important that the means by which people can report corruption incidents are secured and capable of protecting them.
“The main obstacle to blowing the whistle on corruption is the fear of retaliation. It is, therefore, important to ensure that our citizens are comfortable with the process and that the government has an adequate system that would protect them,” Drilon underscored.
Drilon also said that setting up Web portals for whistle-blowers is relatively easy and practicable, and are economical in the long run. “After all, these disclosures will help authorities to help take action against erring individuals, thus, saving resources and preventing damage to the organization.”
2 comments
The submit button of that website does not work. Very typical!
so cool i tried jsut now!