MORE ODA ASSISTANCE TO UNCAC STATE PARTIES -- ANGARA

BALI, INDONESIA - Senator Edgardo J. Angara today proposed that developing countries which have signed and ratified the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) should be given priority by multilateral agencies and donor countries in their ODA commitments.

"Countries which have ratified the UNCAC show a commitment to put their house in order. A genuine effort to curb corruption in the country allows it to better absorb ODA and use its finances for development," said Angara, who heads the Philippine delegation to the 2nd Conference of State Parties to the UNCAC.

The Philippine Senate ratified the UNCAC last November 2006, making the Philippines only the second country in Southeast Asia to have done so. As a member of the executive board of the Ottawa-based Global Organizations of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC), Angara chaired the sub-committee which helped draft some of the language of the UNCAC, as well as co-headed the Philippine delegation to Merida, Mexico, which signed the Convention in December 2003.

Angara cited the Philippines' anti-corruption efforts in addition to ratifying the UNCAC, which include strengthening the Ombudsman's office, improving the procurement process, and instituting campaign finance reforms.

"Noteworthy are improvements in the Ombudsman's capacity in investigation and prosecution, in adopting continuous trials in the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan, and in installing electronic case management and information system," said Angara, who authored the law creating the Office of the Ombudsman.

"Civil society participation in public procurement activities is also increasing. The E-procurement law, which I authored, stands as the Philippines' biggest anti-corruption measure," he said.

The E-Procurement Reform Law overhauls what was then an obsolete and fraud-prone public procurement system - from the purchase of government supplies, to the hiring of consultants, to the bidding and award for government infrastructure contracts.

There are also pending bills in Congress that will institute campaign finance reforms.

"We continue to push for Political Party Development, which will transform political parties into public institutions that genuinely serve the interest and meet the demands of the public," he said. "As public institutions, political parties will be held accountable for their actions. In exchange for public subsidy, they will be required to adopt an internal code of conduct and agree to public audit of their financial transactions."

"Our efforts to promote good governance and fight corruption signal our greater capacity to mobilize government's resources for development. I urge multilateral agencies, in coordination with donor countries, to increase ODA commitments to developing countries who have signed and ratified the UN Convention Against Corruption" said Angara.