AN INTERESTING COLUMN written by John Lesaca, a phenomenal musician, discussed the practices of numerous countries that kept them out of corruption’s path. But their common ingredient is political will and transparency in every transaction, their avoidance of patronage politics and political dynasties and a strong and well-entrenched oversight by the people (civic groups and individuals).
Lesaca said the Philippines is at a critical juncture that requires comprehensive reforms to address issues in governance, economic disparity and social justice that can only be addressed by a holistic strategy integrating political, economic and social reforms for sustainable and inclusive national development.
In his piece at the Manila Times, he said that Singapore/Hongkong had strong independent anti-corruption bureaus, a highly-paid public sector and rapid investigations.
Estonia in Northern Europe used egovernment, online services and transparency.
Hongkong had its Independent Commission Against Corruption, set up in 1974 with investigation, prevention and public education arms. It enjoys independence from political interference, and strong enforcement and public campaigns helped wipe out petty and grand corruption.
Singapore’s Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau has strong legal powers and the political will to enforce rules against senior officials, and a professional public service culture produces consistently low levels of corruption. Legal independence, investigatory/prosecutorial teeth, steady political backing and public outreach ensured its successful implementation.
Georgia in the Caucasus region at the intersection of Eastern Europe and West Asia had procurement and licensing reform that cut corruption rapidly in the 2000s, Lesaca said.
He quipped: “So, there is no need to reinvent the wheel, it’s just common sense.”
Chile’s and Mexico’s national e procurement platforms (ChileCompra, CompraNet) have made procurement transparent and reduced informal deals. Automation removes gatekeepers, creates audit trails and speeds up processes.
Ukraine’s ProZorro e procurement system implemented an open, competing bidding platform that increased bidder participation and saved public money while improving transparency.
OPEN CONTRACTING DATA
Adoption of the Open Contracting Data Standard in many countries has made procurement data reusable and publicly auditable. It opened previously opaque spending to public, media and supplier scrutiny; measurable savings and competition gains.
Georgia’s post 2003 reforms included a radically simplified business registration, licensing and tax administration, replaced corrupt traffic police and enhanced computerized services resulting in reported large drops in petty bribery and faster business processes. Fewer discretionary permits and fewer in person interactions reduced opportunities and incentives for petty corruption.
The United Kingdom has its unique Unexplained Wealth Orders (introduced 2018). It serves as a legal tool compelling people to explain sources of wealth and is used to pursue illicit assets. Countries with this policy (with help from partner jurisdictions and institutions) have repatriated funds stolen by kleptocrats (e.g., recoveries related to Sani Abacha in Nigeria). It works because it hits the financial incentives of grand corruption and uses cross border cooperation.
EMPOWERED WHISTLEBLOWERS
Several OECD and EU countries have strengthened whistleblower protection and channels (confidential reporting, legal protections, sometimes rewards), increasing detection and reporting of wrongdoing. This protects insiders who expose corruption and improves the flow of actionable information to investigators.
In South Korea, vigorous investigations and prosecutions of senior officials and ex presidents signaled that no one was above the law.
Brazil’s Operation Lava Jato (Car Wash) exposed massive financial schemes and led to many convictions and asset recoveries. Visible, impartial enforcement creates deterrence — provided institutions remain independent and due process is respected.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Cities using participatory budgeting (e.g., Porto Alegre initially, later other cities) and open spending portals have given citizens direct oversight and voice over public funds.
Civil society and investigative media in many countries act as external auditors and pressure agents (e.g., investigative reporting that triggers probes).
Public monitoring increases reputational and political risks for corrupt actors.
Common success factors across these cases: political will; institutional independence; reducing discretion through digitization and regulatory simplification; transparency of public spending and procurement; safe channels for whistleblowers and protections for investigative journalism; international cooperation for tracking and recovery of assets; and public education and cultural change to build norms against bribery.
QUICK STARTER PACKAGE
A very doable “Quick Starter Package for the first six to 12 months include:
- Mandate full e-procurement + open contracting for large purchases.
- Publish statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) online, and create a SALN verification task force
- Issue a strong executive order protecting whistleblowers and create a secure reporting platform
- Require digital payments for key government transactions
- Increase funding and investigators for Ombudsman/Sandiganbayan
- Set up a public-beneficial-ownership (disclosure of real individuals who own/control a company) feasibility study.
SUSTAINED ENFORCEMENT
No single reform is a silver bullet. Most successes combine multiple measures and need continuous enforcement. Some high profile campaigns can be politicized; independence and due process are essential to avoid backfiring.
Mahilig naman tayo manggaya, gayahin naman natin ang kabutihan at katinuan, ’wag ang katiwalian, Lesaca suggested.