Experts urge anticorruption efforts

MANILA ― Asian economic and law experts gathered in Manila, the Philippines, Wednesday to stress the importance of rooting out corruption as an essential move to ensure domestic development and global advancement at an international anticorruption forum.

More than 180 experts and high-ranking officials participated in the forum “Institutionalizing Anticorruption and Good Governance” to seek identity areas for targeted intervention, as well as general tools and strategies to combat corruption.

“The question of combatting corruption is no longer a national issue but a global problem. Institutionalizing anticorruption and good governance in the international viewpoint is, therefore, essential,” Paul Linnarz, the regional representative for economic policy, said in his welcoming speech. Linnarz is also a resident representative of German political foundation Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung’s Japanese office.

The two-day forum, cohosted by KAS and Asian Institute of Management Rizalino S. Navarro Policy Center of Competitiveness in Philippines, offered several speeches, experts’ lectures and closed-door discussion sessions.

While poor public service and bad leadership are often the sources of corruption, several key elements can greatly affect the corruption level, a Filipino expert said.

“Improving the economic competitiveness as well as boosting civic engagement and information flow are key factors for eradicating corruption,” said Ronald U. Mendoza, economics professor at the AIM and former senior economist with UNICEF’s Policy and Practice Group in New York.

Participants also discussed some common myths about corruption.

While many think that a strong anticorruption agency may be the answer to combating corruption, the accountability issue actually poses an obstacle, an Australian expert pointed out.

“In principle, they are accountable to the national parliaments, and in many countries parliaments are so poorly organized that effectively these organizations are accountable to no one,” said Norman Abjorensen, the visiting fellow in the Policy and Governance Program of the Australian National University. “They can then act like a loose cannon, creating more damage than benefits to the anticorruption cause.”

The closed-door afternoon sessions focused on the positive role of access to information and IT platforms in tackling corruption.

On Thursday, participants will have an anticorruption discussion with Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, chairperson of the Electoral Reforms and People’s Participation Senate Committee.

Another discussion will be held at the AIM over rampant corruption in campaigning and election.

By Lee Hyun-jeong, Korea Herald correspondent (rene@heraldcorp.com)