February 4, 2011

Good Governance - A Legacy for the Republic

The Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Liberty (FNF) Philippine Office has committed to support the programs of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) as they celebrate their 25th Anniversary. FNF and PCGG shall work together on projects that highlight the activities of the Commission in preventing corruption in government and in promoting good governance. A year-long program has been lined up that include a national confrence, lecture series, and an essay and video contest to discuss the concept of and engage the public in good governance. An exhibit will also be launched on 28 February 2011.

The PCGG was founded 25 years ago as the first act of Cory Aquino as President, primarily to investigate what happened to the millions of pesos that had disappeared under the regime of Ferdinand Marcos. Amidst reports that the PCGG could wind up within a few years, Commissioner Maita Chan-Gonzaga explains that if the Congress and the Aquino Administration consider PCGG’s abolition, the Commission recommends the creation of an Institute for good governance to preserve the institutional knowledge of PCGG. “We hope that the Institute would actualize the Commission's third mandate: to recommend effective safeguards to prevent corruption in government. For the time being and until we are formally ordered otherwise, the Commission stands fully committed to the task at hand. As my fellow commissioner is fond of saying, we are not so much giving up the fight as we are gearing up for a bigger battle,” she expressed.

“Any partnership undertaken, whether it be for the commemoration of PCGG's relevance on its silver anniversary, or support in refocusing a 25-year-old institution, or assistance in exploring what ought to be the features of a successor Institution for good governance and anti-corruption will be, in the greater scheme of things, a legacy for the Republic and therefore worthwhile,” Commissioner Chan-Gonzaga added.

“Good governance is the only way in which we can institutionalize reforms. If we can contribute to installing mechanisms to ensure it, or in promoting its benefits, then we should play our role,” commented Mr. Jules Maaten, FNF Philippines Country Director, "The Commission remains significant with its mandate 'to work towards the aspiration of good governance by adopting measures that will counter the culture of corruption which has distorted our moral values and permeated our social fiber'.”

FNF is a German liberal foundation that advocates liberal principles of participatory democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and market economy. It is also celebrating its 25th anniversary in the Philippines this year.