President Benigno Aquino III 蜜桃工作室 FILE PHOTO
NEW YORK鈥擯resident Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday took center stage at a new multilateral initiative by eight countries aimed at ensuring transparency in government and the empowerment of citizens in fighting corruption.
Saying the Philippines 鈥渋s not only excited [about] but also derives strength鈥� from working together with other members of the new initiative, the President joined 45 other world leaders in launching the Open Government Partnership (OGP) at the Waldorf Astoria hotel.
The Philippines is one of the eight countries鈥攁nd only one of two from Asia鈥攖hat make up the OGP Steering Committee. The others are the United States, Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa, Norway, the United Kingdom and Mexico.
In a speech, the President expressed thanks 鈥渇or honoring my country with membership in the OGP Steering Committee.鈥�
鈥淭his acknowledges and further strengthens our commitment to promoting transparency, fostering accountability and combating corruption,鈥� he said.
Mr. Aquino said the Philippines鈥� participation in the initiative was 鈥渃onsistent鈥� with his administration鈥檚 鈥渃ommitment to honest and effective governance.鈥�
He told his audience that he won the presidency in 2010 because Filipinos wanted an open government, and that his administration was bent on achieving this fully with a road map.
The initiative was started in January when a small group of government and civil society leaders met to talk about transforming governance.
US President Barack Obama, who cochairs the OGP, had earlier invited Mr. Aquino to attend the launch, at which they sat beside each other.
According to Ambassador to the United States Jose Cuisia Jr., the Philippines was chosen to be among the founders of the initiative because of Mr. Aquino鈥檚 鈥渃ommitment to good governance and his determination to fight corruption in order to create more jobs for Filipinos and eventually reduce poverty.鈥�
Meaning of democracy
Mr. Aquino said that while Filipinos sought 鈥渙pen and accountable governance鈥� in toppling the Marcos dictatorship in 1986, it was this same desire that moved them to elect him, 鈥渁 member of the opposition,鈥澛� to the presidency.
鈥淭his is what democracy is all about: having a government disciplined enough to imbibe in itself the principles of transparency, accountability and citizen involvement鈥攖he necessary preconditions to poverty alleviation and inclusive and sustainable economic growth,鈥� he said.
The President also said that just as his administration would continue to wage a campaign 鈥渁gainst those who abused power in the past, we are also strengthening institutions through open government.鈥�
鈥淚n fact, we have created a road map called the 2012 Philippine Government Action Plan to ensure that our government institutions are at par with international transparency standards,鈥� he said.
He added that the action plan was developed through consultations with civil society and business groups engaged in the integrity advocacy, and would be implemented in January 2012.
Good place for business
鈥淎ll these efforts are indicators of how serious we are in transforming our system from one that operates through secrecy, impunity and collusion, into a government that embodies transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement鈥攁 government that truly exists for its people,鈥� Mr. Aquino said.
In a speech Tuesday night before the Asia Society, the President said the Philippines鈥� being chosen to be part of the OGP affirmed that it was 鈥渁 good place to do business in and a good country to do business with.鈥�
In yet another speech at the OGP-related forum 鈥淭he Power of Open Government: A Global Discussion鈥� at the Google headquarters in New York, Aquino, who was the only head of state to speak there, underscored the importance of governments engaging their people and being open with and transparent to them, especially in the 鈥渁ge of flux鈥� and advanced communication technologies.
Mr. Aquino said there was now 鈥渁 profound reexamination of the relationship between governments and their citizens鈥� as the world economic system was being 鈥渞eordered鈥� by the 鈥淎rab spring鈥� or political turbulence in the Middle East and the economic turbulence in the United States and Europe.
鈥淎t the heart of this reexamination is a fundamental reality that governments throughout history have ignored at their peril: Governments exist at the sufferance of their people,鈥� he said.
Social media
Mr. Aquino said that before communications technologies modernized, governments 鈥渃ould lull themselves into thinking that even if they lacked popular consent, they had the luxury of time to play deaf and dumb to their people鈥檚 needs.鈥�
He noted how Filipinos were able to replace the Marcos dictatorship only after 14 years and how, with today鈥檚 advanced communications, a people鈥檚 struggle against a government could 鈥渉appen much quicker.鈥�
He also noted how social media could 鈥渆xpose corruption and other abuses, and arouse public opinion to mobilize and reclaim their government.鈥�
鈥淭he ever-quickening pace of communications and ever-increasing opportunities for engaging in conversations across sectors and borders is both a boon and a bane,鈥� Mr. Aquino said, pointing out that anyone with access to the Internet could now 鈥渞each millions of people and dispense pearls of wisdom, or perversely, misinform and mislead in pursuit of a selfish agenda.鈥�
This is why, he said, governments should engage its citizens in dialogue so as to reinforce openness and make it less tempting for those in power to engage in crime.
鈥淚 believe it is incumbent on all of us to confidently assert that governments that do things right should have no problem keeping our fellow citizens informed
and engaged and, thus, partners of government in its fundamental task of addressing the needs of the people,鈥� he said.
Chat with Obama
PAT ON THE BACK. US President Barack Obama puts his hand on the back of President Aquino after Tuesday鈥檚 launch of the Open Government Partnership initiative held at the Waldorf Astoria hotel. EDWIN BACASMAS
On the sidelines of the OGP launch, the President told reporters that Obama congratulated him for his achievements in his first year in office.
According to Mr. Aquino, Obama said he had learned that certain people whom the Aquino administration was going after were also resisting its efforts to bring them to justice.
Obama likewise said there were also certain people who were trying to push back his own reforms, Mr. Aquino said, adding:
鈥淐ertainly he has many problems, and I told him I wish him the best of luck in addressing all of these.鈥�
Mr. Aquino said that he had invited the US leader to visit Manila, and that the latter said they could talk longer at the Asia-Pacific Economic Forum in Hawaii in November.
He added that Obama was also busy with the US presidential election next year.
Originally posted at 11:39 pm | Wednesday, September 21, 2011