DOTr launches anti-corruption unit

0
1496
Screengrab of the virtual signing of the Manifesto and Declaration of Oath of Honesty by officials and employees of the Department of Transportation and its 18 attached agencies. Photo from DOTr.
  • The Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission, officially launched the DOTr Anti-Corruption Committee on November 25
  • DOTr-ACC is directed to formulate policies to foster the department’s fight against corruption
  • It is tasked to monitor and validate corruption-related cases, as well as implement and promote anti-corruption programs in the agency

The Department of Transportation, in partnership with the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC), officially launched the DOTr Anti-Corruption Committee (DOTr-ACC) on November 25 to manifest its commitment to get rid of corruption.

The creation of DOTr-ACC is pursuant to the transport department’s memorandum of agreement with PACC to create the National Anti-Corruption Coordinating Council under Project Kasangga, DOTr Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Reinier Paul Yebra said in a statement.

Project Kasangga is a PACC-led call to arms against corruption that engages all agencies in the executive department to join the fight against corruption by “self-cleansing or policing their own ranks, starting from critical high-risk or corruption exposed agencies.”

DOTr-ACC, created on August 3, 2021 through Special Order 2021-112, is directed to formulate policies to foster the department’s fight against corruption.

DOTr-ACC will monitor and validate corruption-related cases, as well as implement and promote anti-corruption programs in the agency.

Aside from creating DOTr-ACC, Yebra said the agency has been enforcing anti-corruption measures, such as a “one-strike” policy against corruption, the livestreaming of bidding and procurement processes, a “no noon-break” policy, no “kamag-anak” system, no gift policy, and the digitization or shifting to online processing of applications for licenses, franchises, and other related services.

Simultaneous with the launching of the DOTr-ACC is the signing of the Manifesto and Declaration of Oath of Honesty by officials and employees of DOTr and its 18 attached agencies.

More than 1,000 personnel of DOTr and its four sectors—aviation, railways, road transport, and maritime—participated in the nationwide signing and oath-taking before PACC Commissioner Atty. Yvette Contacto.

To recall, a similar ceremony was spearheaded by the PACC on April 28, 2021 to launch Project Kasangga, while DOTr personnel first signed the pledge of commitment and took their oaths to uphold ethical practice and good governance on December 14, 2016.