The full digitalization of the government – including the removal of human intervention in government processes – holds the key to finally stop crime and corruption, former Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson stressed Tuesday.
Lacson noted that while several laws had been passed to end corruption – including those authored or sponsored by him – these could not be implemented because of such “human intervention.”
“I am glad with the President’s pronouncement that we are aiming for full digitalization of the government. Once we achieve this, we will have not only faster transactions but also less graft and corruption because there is no human intervention and everything is online,” he said in Filipino at a press conference of the Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial slate in Pasay City.
Related: Ping Lacson: Full Gov’t Digitalization, Susi vs Krimen at Katiwalian
“Even the payment of fees can be done online, and there will be no opportunity for ‘humans’ to demand bribes,” he added.
Lacson noted that addressing the problems in peace and order and in graft and corruption stem not from legislation but from poor or lack of implementation of existing laws.
He noted the Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007, which he authored, provides for speedy transactions by specifying the number of days when a transaction must be completed – but there have been complaints that it is not being followed.
Another law he cited was the Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), which provided for the modernization and computerization of Customs – but its automation has yet to be achieved.
Lacson recalled asking Customs officials at a budget hearing to submit to him the requirements for automation – which would remove human intervention – but the requirements were not submitted.
Even the National ID law, which he sponsored in the Senate and which sought to simplify government transactions and aid in crime prevention, could not be implemented properly due to reported interventions in the bidding and awarding for suppliers. As a result, many Filipinos who applied for their National ID have yet to get them.
Lacson said that should he earn a seat in the Senate, he would move for the Senate fulfilling its oversight functions to find out what went wrong with the laws’ implementation.
“What may be needed is to fulfill our oversight functions. We need to see if there a problem with the implementing rules and regulations, such that they differed from the intent of the law,” he said.
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Ping Lacson: Full Gov’t Digitalization, Susi vs Krimen at Katiwalian
Ang full digitalization ng pamahalaan – kabilang dito ang pag-alis ng “human intervention” sa mga proseso ng gobyerno – ang susi para sugpuin ang krimen at katiwalian, ayon kay dating Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson nitong Martes.
Ipinunto ni Lacson na bagama’t marami nang batas ang naipasa para tigilan ang katiwalian – kabilang ang ilang batas na kanyang inakda at isinulong – hindi ito maipatupad dahil sa “human intervention.”
“Ako natutuwa sa pronouncement ng Pangulo patungo tayo sa full digitalization. Pag nagkaroon ng digital government, hindi lang bibilis lahat na transaction kundi mabababawsan ang graft and corruption dahil walang human intervention, puro online,” aniya sa pulong pambalitaan ng Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial slate sa Pasay City.
“Pati pagbayad sa mga fees ay online. So walang kukupit at walang magpapadulas,” dagdag niya.
Iginiit ni Lacson na maraming problema sa krimen at katiwalian ay hindi dahil sa kakulangan ng batas kundi sa kakulangan ng pagpapatupad nito.
Kanyang hinalimbawa ang Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007 na kanyang inakda, na tinutukoy ang bilang ng araw para makumpleto dapat ang transaksyon – nguni’t may mga reklamo na hindi ito nasusunod.
Isa pang batas, aniya, ang Customs Modernization and Tariff Act (CMTA), para sa modernization at computerization ng Bureau of Customs – pero hindi pa rin nabuo ang automation nito.
Naalala ni Lacson na sinabihan niya ang taga-BOC sa budget hearing na magsumite ng requirements nila para sa automation para mawala ang “human intervention,” nguni’t hindi nasumite ang mga requirement.
Pati ang National ID law, na in-sponsor ni Lacson sa Senado para ma-simplify ang transaksyon sa gobyerno at tumulong sa pagpigil ng krimen, ay hindi mapatupad nang maayos dahil sa diumanong pakikialam sa bidding at awarding sa suppliers. Dahil dito, maraming Pilipino na nag-apply para sa National ID ay wala pa ring nakukuha.
Ani Lacson, kung manalo siya sa Senado, isusulong niya na ipatupad ng Senado ang oversight functions nito para alamin kung ano ang problema sa implementasyon ng mga batas na ito.
“So kailangan siguro, kami pag may nakabalik sa Senado o nakapunta sa Senado, pag-aralan natin ang oversight. Ito lagi nating nirereklamo. Pag ginagawa ang IRR, para silang nagke-create ng panibagong batas inaameyndahan ang batas na pinasa ng Kongreso,” he said.
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