ANGARA EYES DISCLOSURE OF FOREIGN CONSULTANTS IN ALL AGENCIES AND BRANCHES GOVERNMENT
Seeks transparency and improved accountability

Senator Edgardo J. Angara today which seeks to uphold transparency and accountability in government as he seeks to require all branches and agencies of government, including government-owned and controlled corporations and their subsidiaries to disclose the identity of their foreign consultants, the nature of their work and their compensation, perks and other privileges.

"Consistent with the policy of the State to ensure full public disclosure of all its transactions involving public interest, we aim to require full disclosure of the identity, nature of work, and compensation of foreign consultants hired or retained by the Government, its agencies, instrumentalities, including government - owned or - controlled corporations (GOCCs) and their subsidiaries," said Angara who chairs the Senate Committee on Finance.

He added that there are three (3) main objectives in his proposal, "First, it is the public's basic right to know who are providing expert advice and support to the government be fully accorded them; It is also timely that the public be appraised if the services for which the consultants are being sought are indeed indispensable and cannot be rendered by our local experts. Lastly, the public, who are the main contributors to our nation's coffer, must be informed of the money being spent to pay consultants hired by the Government."

Angara recently filed SB 900 or the Foreign Consultants' Disclosure bill, which seeks to require all branches and agencies of government, including government-owned and controlled corporations and their subsidiaries to disclose the identity of their foreign consultants, the nature of their work and their compensation, perks and other privileges.

In the bill, all heads of branches, subdivisions, instrumentalities, and agencies of the Government, including government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCCs) or their subsidiaries shall provide the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), in writing and under oath, the pertinent information involving their foreign consultants.

Violators shall be punished by a fine of not less than Fifteen Thousand Pesos (P15,000.00) but not more than Sixty Thousand Pesos (P60,000.00) and imprisonment of not less than six (6) years or both at the discretion of the court. Those convicted shall also be perpetually disqualified from holding public office.

"Transparency, in all its forms, must be given upper-hand in the government. This is needed so that the public will know whether or not the consultancy fees paid to these consultants are commensurate with the benefits that the Government is supposed to get from such consultancy contracts," added Angara who is the father of the Ombudsman Law and the primary author of the Procurement Reform Act.