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Let President sign bank waiver first, ‘JV’ dares

By Jason Faustino

03/16/2009

Let the President sign the bank waiver first.

This was the challenge hurled by San Juan City Mayor Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito at President Arroyo and her family to sign a bank waiver allowing scrutiny of their assets before and after they took office.

His father, former President Joseph Estrada, earlier had said he was ready to sign the bank waiver being poised by anti-graft expert Atty. Nicasio Conti as he also challenged presidential aspirants to lead in the signing of the waiver.

Ejercito, however, said the Arroyos should be the first ones to sign the waiver to prove they did not amass wealth from their more than eight years in office.

“I think they should include and start with the Arroyos which have been there in the Palace for more than eight years,” he said.

In the same light, Conti through his Business for Integrity and Stability of our Nation or BISYON 2020, is now preparing the stage for the signing of all presidential, vice presidential, senatorial and congressional aspirants to sign the bank waiver.

This as more politicians and possible aspirants in the 2010 elections are joining the bandwagon for the call of Conti to sign a bank waiver before running in next year’s polls.

Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez lauded the move, saying he is open to the proposal as it would help rid the presidency of corruption.

Losing opposition senatorial bet Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, said the proposal might actually replicate the purpose of the Statement of Assets and Liabilities (SAL), but stressed that in the long run it may serve as the most important document come litigation time.

“The proposal is actually good. But it might replicate the purpose of the SAL to monitor the wealth of the public officer. But it can help greatly in evidence gathering. There is nothing wrong in trying it,” he said.

Former President Estrada last Friday challenged all presidential aspirants to sign a waiver and open their bank accounts before filing their candidacies or taking up government posts as a system of checking if they have been amassing illegal wealth during their terms.

Estrada made the statement after Conti posed a challenge to all aspirants — from President to senators, congressmen and even mayors and other local officials — to sign a bank waiver allowing an independent body that would be tasked by the government to scrutinize their assets and bank accounts before, during and after they took office.

Survey frontrunners Senators Loren Legarda and Francis “Chiz” Escudero said they are amenable to the proposal of Conti.

Conti earlier had explained under his proposal, people who would hold office would now be made liable for any additional assets — be it financially or newly acquired cars or houses.

“Mere submission of Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Financial Net worth or SALN for purposes of compliance no longer effectively deters corruption since officials have become knowledgeable already how to go around the requirement of the law,” Conti said.

While SALN is proven to be a an important document in tracking down accumulation of wealth, asset disclosure and avoidance of conflict of interest is nonetheless a useless governance tool if this will not be accompanied by actual scrutiny and inventory of assets before one joins the government to establish his baseline assets, Conti added.

The process of scrutiny must continue and can be done randomly during the period of incumbency and must be followed until one’s separation from service.

In addition to the waiver allowing independent body to scrutinize one’s assets, a waiver of the secrecy of bank deposit of the incoming government official must also be required. After all, public office is a public trust.

Conti, also a former commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Good Government, made the statement when asked how to ensure the next President would be corrupt-free.

Conti explained the waiver will extend all the way down to family members, and while an official may be clean with his records, he may have been simply transferring assets to them.

He said under his proposal, any incoming official, be it appointed or by election, should first submit to a neutral body his SAL for validation and scrutiny.

Under existing laws, government officials are required to submit their SALs annually.

However, Conti said with the waiver, the banks would be open to allow the neutral watchdog to scrutinize the accounts and check if they had been illegally amassing wealth.

Upon retirement or stepping down, assets acquired during the official’s tenure would be held for him by the government and would only be returned to him after he has proven that they were not illegally acquired.

Conti said his proposal is not to generalize that the persons to be appointed or elected are corrupt but will instead serve as a warning to all government officials or politicians that they would be held criminally liable for stealing or corruption.

“It’s not to discriminate that all people who would be appointed by the administration are corrupt or will be corrupt. We are not assuming that all who would take part in the elections have selfish intentions. It’s just a safety measure. We, as tax- payers would want to be assured,” he said.

Conti, who has been attending and heading anti-corruption forums here and abroad, said his proposal would make it easier to trace any corrupt activity by any government official.

“If you have nothing to hide, and you are just working for the government without any other ulterior motives, then this is a way to ensure a corrupt-free agency,” he said.