“WE ARE GLADIATORS AGAINST CORRUPTION”
PR - Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade underscored how the Department of Transportation (DOTr) has been blazing the trail in the government's campaign against CORRUPTION, during the Oath-Taking and Signing Ceremony of the DOTr Integrity Pledge (Reaffirmation of Commitment) and Pledge of Cooperation and Oath of Honesty (Manifesto), done virtually in front of Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman Greco Belgica, held earlier today, 28 April 2021.
The Integrity Pledge reaffirms the commitment of the public servants of DOTr to ethical practice and good governance, while the swearing under the Manifesto reiterates the call to action to heed to President Duterte's campaign to stamp out corruption, and uphold integrity, transparency, and accountability in public service.
In the event, Secretary Tugade assertively expounded on the very essence of today’s gathering—and that is, to renew the vow and the sworn duty of DOTr officials and personnel to abide by, and uphold the commitment to good governance.
“Ayan po yung significance ng ating pagsasama ngayon—tayo ay mananatiling mandirigma laban sa corruption, tayo ay laging mananatiling isang gladiator laban sa corruption,” Secretary Tugade said.
Secretary Tugade gave a stern reminder to the public servants that with or without pandemic, no one should take advantage of power, and the welfare of the country and its people must remain as the absolute and paramount reason for entering public service.
“Sa ating pakikibaka laban sa pandemiya, dapat walang kurakot, dapat walang nananamantala, dapat walang kupit, dapat ang atin lang iniisip ay kapakanan ng bayan at ang kapakanan ng tao. Pandemiya man o hindi, kailangan yung kapakanan ng tao ay mananatiling isang commitment—isang covenant sa sambayanan,” Secretary Tugade remarked.
He added, “Ang Kagawaran ng Transportasyon will remain very uncompromising when it comes to corruption. ‘Yung mga malilikot ang kamay, yung mga malilikot ang pagiisip, yung tamad sa pagganap ng kaniyang katungkulin—ito po ay forms of corruption—lalabanan ko kayo at hindi ko kayo tatantanan.”
As Secretary Tugade conveyed his and the agency’s full and relentless support to the endeavors of the PACC and the Duterte Administration, he, once again reminded everyone that public service is, and will always be, a NOBLE CALLING.
“Asahan niyo ‘ho na ipagpapatuloy namin ang aming mga hakbaing ito, biglang pagtalima sa aming sinumpaang tungkulin, at bilang suporta sa laban ng PACC, at ng administrasyong Duterte laban sa katiwalan, laban sa corruption,” Secretary Tugade assured.
Afterwards, he implored, “To my fellow servants in government, remember that you are privileged to work for the people, with the people, and because of the people. And because of this, the expectations of the people on you are tight and very tight. We have to reach out to this commitment, we have to reach out to the expectations of the people, na tayo ‘ho ay gaganap ng ating katungkulan, walang katarantaduhan, walang pagnanakaw, walang pagsasamantala.”
“Please, I want you to keep in mind that public service is, and will always be a noble calling. Wag ‘ho nating lagyan ng bahid ang public service,” the transportation chief further added.
For his part, PACC Chairman Greco Belgica commended the leadership of Secretary Arthur Tugade, as the DOTr has been the leading government agency in stringently ensuring that corruption practices, as well as officials, are eradicated, and continuously upholding a clean and upstanding public service.
“Nais ko pong bigyan ng special na pagbati si Secretary Tugade, at itong Department, dahil kayo po ang UNANG NAGPRESENTA ng inyong sarili para sumaloob sa gawain pong ito,” Chairman Belgica said.
He added, “Sana tularan kayo ng iba pang mga opisina ng gobyerno.”
During the event, Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Reinier Paul Yebra provided updates on the DOTr’s anti-corruption campaign and transparency goals, including the achievement received by the Department as one of the leading agencies recognized in the Freedom for Information (FOI) category, as well as its internal initiatives such as livestreaming of bidding processes, and other anti-red tape efforts.
In terms of the agency’s anti-corruption drive, Usec. Yebra reported that for the period of March 2019 to 27 February 2021, the DOTr has already dismissed 149 personnel, suspended 20 other personnel, and referred one (1) individual to the PACC, for grave misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of service.
Meanwhile, several heads of attached agencies of the DOTr, including the Land Transportation Office-Philippines (LTO), Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB), as well as its Railway sector, reported the initiatives they have undertaken, to ensure that corruption is eliminated.
For the LTFRB, Chairman Martin Delgra III said, “We have challenged the stakeholders na kung meron pong maghihingi sa loob dahil ang prangkisa raw ay may bayad, ay to report the incident either directly to the hotline of the 8888, to the Office of the Chairman, and at the DOTr.”
He added, “We made headway in so far as the corruption drive is concerned. Sa atin pong termino, meron na pong mga nine (9) na regional directors na nawala na sa serbisyo. At meron na pong mga kasong nai-file sa Office of the President..”
For the LTO, Chief Assistant Secretary Edgar Galvante said, “Ang ginawa nating improvement dito ay hindi mas pinadali natin kung ano ang evaluation process but rather, yung sistema ng pagkuha ng mga dokumento gaya ng lisensya.”
For the Railways sector, with regard to the budget utilization and processing of big-ticket railway infrastructure projects, Undersecretary Timothy John Batan said, “Simula’t sapul pa lamang po, sa umpisa pa lang, bago pa po ma-aprubahan ng ating mga development partners ang murang pautang para po sa ating mga ODA projects, ay nagsasagawa na po sila ng masinsinang governance audit, upang masigurado po na ang ating implementing agency, tulad po ng DOTr, ay may mga sistema at proseso na makakasigurado pong malinis, transparent, at corruption-free na mai-implement ang mga proyekto.”
Officials who present in the event were DOTr Chief of Staff and Assistant Secretary for Procurement and Project Implementation Giovanni Lopez, Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago, Assistant Secretary for Communications and Commuter Affairs Goddes Hope Libiran, and other heads of attached agencies, deputies, and employees.
#DOTrPH
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