Metro Manila, Philippines – The Office of the Ombudsman and Procurement Services-Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) signed a data sharing agreement on Tuesday, Sept. 29, for improved transparency.
Under the deal, a subpoena is no longer needed for authorized ombudsman officials to have direct, read-only access to the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) database.
In his speech during the signing ceremony, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla described the move to be an effort toward building a culture of transparency, not just speed.
“The whole point of this agreement is to make the world smaller for those who abuse the system,” Remulla said.
He stated that the ombudsman previously had to write a letter of request to access documents. The process could take days or weeks, delaying its investigations.
“To anyone who still thinks our procurement system can be gamed: understand that the ombudsman is now looking at the same data you are submitting,” Remulla said.
“Every document you upload to PhilGEPS is a document we can read. Act accordingly,” he added.
The ombudsman said it expects the agreement to take effect in the following weeks after a coordination meeting with DBM.
“This is a very, very big and monumental step para sa aming lahat,” Assistant Ombudsman Mico Clavano stated. “Pati na po sa PS-DBM para po hindi sila pagbintangan sa mga procurements na hindi naman talaga regular,” he added.
[This is a very, very big and monumental step for all of us. Also for PS-DBM so they would not be accused in cases of irregular procurements.]
He also assured the public that the agreement would not be used for a “fishing expedition.”
A complaint filed with the ombudsman is still needed before officials can access the PhilGEPS database. The agency will also only use the agreement for “investigation, prosecution, and corruption prevention” in line with privacy laws.
Sophia Sioco contributed to this report
