Anti-Corruption and Transparency Project Re: LGU Vehicle Monitoring Paul Pastrano Gangoso Executive Director, ECOLINK

Issues the project hopes to address: Lavish/ corrupt expenditures in gasoline & lubricants, repairs & maintenance Rampant misuse of red-plated vehicles Weak compliance of LGU to GPRA Minimal citizen participation in anti-graft drives

Intervention Framework

Part I: Mobilizing Citizens in the Drive to Curb Government Corruption

A.Popular Media : “Bantay Kurapsyon” Radio Program (As of September, 2007) 1,197 Text Responses 179 Calls 55 Letters 19 Well-known Guests 48 Weekly Episodes High Listener Rating 63 issues addressed

B. Arts and the Youth Reaching thousands through Poster-making, Photojournalism & Short-play Competitions

C. Citizen’s Coalition Against Corruption Procurement Monitoring through CSO Representation in City and Brgy.-level B.A.C.’s LGU Projects Monitoring Policy Advocacy Citizen’s Hotline 71 PO’s/NGO’s Link with Ombudsman/ City Mayor/ SP DILG/ Line Agencies

Part II: Reducing expenditures on gasoline and lubricants, repairs and maintenance

Strategies in reducing expenditures on gasoline and lubricants, repairs and maintenance Monthly Expenditures Monitoring Quarterly Expenditures Analysis Workshops  Case Studies of Specific LGU Vehicles  Measure Corruption Rate of Every Vehicle  Review costs of procured vehicles & supplies Monitoring retail stations of gasoline and lubricants Reporting and investigating citizen’s reports

Case Study 1: SBE 219 KIA Pick-up assigned to a City Councilor Total Cost of Gasoline Consumption per Week during his assignment : P 1, / week Total Cost of Gasoline Consumption Per Week after re-assignment : P / Average Corruption Rate : P / day Total Corruption in 3 Years (Gasoline and Lubricants Only): P 154,707.86

Local Government Expenditures have reduced by 1.9 million, 47 Barangays’ expenditures reduced by.1million, Expenses lost to misuse amounts.25million and Gasoline reselling by.06 million

Part III: Eradicating Vehicle Misuse Practices

Most common forms of misuse  Sending family members to and from the school  Personal business, beach picnics and family recreations  Going to church and market at weekends  Evening recreations at KTV bars and night clubs Strategies in Eradicating Vehicle Misuse Tapping students, teachers, security guards, waiters, bartenders, employees, drivers as volunteer monitors Using popular media like SMS, Bantay Kurapsyon Radio Program, Posters Pushing for policy reforms and precedent punitive actions in the LGU

A. Tapping students, teachers, security guards, waiters, bartenders, employees, drivers as volunteer monitors 97% of photos and text reports come from students, teachers and anonymous sources B. Using popular media like SMS, Newsletter, Bantay Kurapsyon Radio Program & Posters

Average monthly vehicle misuse practices reduced from 67 to 3 and a record O by June-July C. Pushing for policy reforms and precedent punitive actions in the LGU - dismissal of employee caught in misuse - principal relieved from duty - placement of LGU logos in vehicles - inventory of non- roadworthy LGU vehicles - new plate numbers - Draft Barangay Ordinance - Draft City LGU Ordinance - Complaint at Ombudsman

Part IV: Strengthening LGU’s Compliance to Government Procurement Reform Act (GPRA) or R.A. 9184

A. CSO Representation in BAC’s 221 Actual Observation on Biddings in the City LGU, National Line Agencies like DepED, and Barangay LGU’s RRegular Membership in the City, Line Agencies and Barangay BAC’s B. Posting/ Publication of Bids  Improved posting and publication of bids  No on-line access yet C. Accessibility of Bid Documents  Improved accessibility of documents in the National Line Agencies but minimal City and Barangay LGU’s compliance  No on-line access  No Communications Plan/ Information System

D. Strengthen appreciation of BAC members and observers towards GPRA through Scoping and Short-term HRD training

Part IV: Sustainability, Replicability & Future Perspectives

Sustainability  PURSUING THE PASSAGE OF A CITY ORDINANCE DEFINING THE GUIDELINES ON THE USE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT VEHICLES, FUEL CONSUMPTION AND AVIALMENT OF AUTOMOTIVE SERVICES  PURSUING THE PASSAGE OF BARANGAY ORDINANCE SETTING THE GUIDELINES ON THE USE OF BARANGAY VEHICLE  ESTABLISHING A CITIZEN’S COALITION AGAINST CORRUPTION LINKING ALL CSO’S AND GOVERNMENT OFFICES  INTEGRATING ARTS ACTIVITIES IN ANNUAL CITY EVENTS

Replicability  CSO’S CAN UTILIZE COMMON TOOLS FOR MEASURING AND MONITORING CORRUPTION IN LGU EXPENDITURES ON GASOLINE AND LUBRICANTS  ORDINANCE CAN BE APPLIED TO OTHER CITIES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AS WELL  CITIZEN-BASED VEHICLE MISUSE MONITORING AND DOCUMENTATION TOOLS CAN IMPROVE THE OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN’S OPLAN RED PLATE  CSO’S CAN UTILIZE INFORMATION AND EDUCATION CAMPAIGN TOOLS IN PROMOTING TRANSPARENCY  PROCUREMENT MONITORS CAN USE ECOLINK’S APPROACH

Future Perspectives Strengthening the Oroquieta City Coalition Against Corruption and Similar Networks and Promoting a Comprehensive Citizen-based Anti-Corruption Framework for Local Government Replicating the project in other cities in the Philippines Sharing the Oroquieta City experience across the country

Before I end this presentation, we at ECOLINK wish to share a very important lesson we learned from our project: Transparency in the public office including the Local Government is not something given freely by those in power even, if procurement and other similar laws exist; It is something that a vigilant and active citizenry should continuously fight for.

Thank You Very Much... Have A Nice Day... Thanks to Partnership for Transparency Fund (PTF) and Asian Development Bank As well as to the Department of Education- Oroquieta City Interim Division, DILG Oroquieta CLGOO and City Government of Oroquieta