GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/27 September) – Officials of six government agencies under the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Region 12 or Southwestern Mindanaoforged an agreement over the weekend with civil society groups in the region to promote transparency and accountability in their operations to help eliminate graft and corruption.
“It [agreement] pushed for the institutionalization of the values of transparency, accountability, participation and performance in local and institutional governance,” Chief Supt. Gil Meneses, regional police director, said in a statement Monday.
The Memorandum of Agreement was forged during the regular meeting of the Regional Management Coordinating Committee at the Police Regional Office 12 headquarters in Barangay Tambler here.
Among those who signed the MOA were officials of the DILG, National Police Commission, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and the Philippine Public Safety College-Regional Training School in Region 12.
Meneses, vice chair of RMCC-12, said they signed the agreement as they recognized the need to tap the active involvement and participation of the CSOs in the region in helping eliminate graft and corruption in the procurement and utilization of RMCC resources.
He said it was also aimed at maintaining a highly competent, disciplined, credible and trustworthy police force at the regional level and promoting the implementation of responsive development projects at the grassroots level.
“It detailed our close collaboration with the CSOs, including their roles and functions, as we join forces in cleaning up our offices and communities in terms of graft and corrupt practices,” Meneses said.
Among the CSO who signed the agreement were the Coalition of Social Development Organizations in South Cotabato, People’s Law Enforcement Board-South Cotabato Chapter, Citizens Crime Watch, Professional Criminologists Association of the Philippines-Region 12 Chapter, Christian Light Foundation, Inc. Prison Ministry, Naomi’s Heart Association, Inc., Couples For Christ Global Mission Inc., Institute of Integrated Electrical Engineers Inc.-Upper Valley Chapter, Koronadal Filipino Chinese Firefighters Foundations Inc., and the RD Foundation.
Meneses said the RMCC and the CSOs agreed to meet regularly for the conduct of regional dialogues and workshops to help firm up their partnership. (Allen V. Estabillo/MindaNews)
