Naga backs Robredo’s Full Disclosure Bill

NAGA CITY --- In a bid to promote transparency and accountability in the whole country, this city, widely recognized as a bastion of local good governance, has passed a resolution endorsing the passing into law of the Full Disclosure Bill of Camarines Sur 3rd District Representative Ma. Leonor G. Robredo.

In its 5th Regular Session last Tuesday, Aug. 6, the members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Naga jointly and collectively adopted Resolution No. 2013-187, introduced by Councilor Gabriel H. Bordado Jr., expressing Naga City’s unconditional support for the immediate passage of the Full Disclosure Bill.

Resolution No. 2013-187 also seeks for the aid and involvement of various leagues, such as the Leagues of Municipalities and the Leagues of Cities of the Philippines, to encourage all the other local government units to pass the same “in the name of transparency and accountability“.

According to Vice Mayor Nelson Legacion, the resolution of the Sanggunian aims to strategically advance the advocacy of Naga and its people in eliminating graft and corruption and cutting down red tape in the government, not just in the city but also in national agencies and government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs).

“House Bill No. 21 of Congresswoman Robredo seeks to institutionalize and, at the same time, widen the scope of the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) Memorandum Circular No. 2010-83 issued by then Secretary Jesse Robredo. The circular orders all LGUs and DILG regional offices to report their finances and bids and public offerings and forms part and parcel of the late secretary’s Seal of Good Housekeeping program,” Legacion stated.

“It is also one of his legacies that we would like to be institutionalized through the passing of the Full Disclosure Bill,” he added.

Robredo filed House Bill No. 21 on July 1, her first day in the House of Representatives. Under the said measure, national and local governments and the GOCCs are mandated to disclose the following: annual budget, budget execution documents, accountability reports, procurement plan, invitation to bid, annual financial statements, consolidated bi-annual financial and narrative accomplishment reports, agency issuances and local ordinances, and other documents and information required to be made available to the public by law.

The aforementioned documents should be disclosed with or without request from an individual or any entity through posting in conspicuous places within public buildings, printed media of general circulation, and in official websites of the agencies, offices and instrumentalities.

“This will allow our people to access the data at any time without the burden of technicalities and bureaucracy. Government funds are hard-earned money of the people that should be spent judiciously and for the common good,” Robredo explained.

House Bill No. 21 also provides that, in case of violation of said measure, the head of the departments, bureaus, agencies and/or local government units will be held accountable and will be penalized by a fine of five hundred thousand pesos (Php500,000.00).

“By imposing hefty fines, the bill can compel all government entities to comply with the law. If we could have our way though, we recommend that heavier penalties be imposed, such as making violations of said law a ground for dismissal of the chief of office and/or providing that non-compliance with the law is a criminal offense leading to imprisonment of the head of office,” commented Vice Mayor Legacion.

“Nevertheless, the city government of Naga firmly believes that the proposed legislative measure should really be passed into law if we indeed want to realize the Tuwid na Daan vision of President Noynoy Aquino,” he added.