Asian Ombudsman Association elects Ombudsman Gutierrez as Vice-President

Press Release
By OFFICE OF THE OMBUDSMAN
June 17, 2007

QUEZON CITY, Philippines  –  Ombudsman Ma. Merceditas N. Gutierrez vowed to vigorously pursue reforms in the country’s anti-corruption strategies by involving all sectors in the campaign against corruption.

The statement was issued in the wake of her recent election as Vice-President of the 22-member Asian Ombudsman Association (AOA), a regional grouping which aims to improve multi-lateral cooperation among Asian countries in the fight against the social menace.

The AOA was formed on April 16, 1996, in Islamabad, Pakistan upon the initiative of the then Wafaqi Mohtasib (Ombudsman) of Pakistan, Justice Abdul Shakurul Salam, who also became AOA’s first Chairman.

The idea to form the AOA surfaced during a meeting of the Board of Directors of the International Ombudsman Institute (IOI). During the said meeting, representatives from Europe, Australia and Pacific, North America, Latin America and Africa noted that they had established regional ombudsman associations, except for their Asian counterparts.

AOA aims to promote the concepts of Ombudsmanship and to encourage its development in Asia; to develop professionalism in the discharge of the functions of Ombudsman; and to facilitate exchange of information and experiences among the Ombudsmen of the region.

AOA’s member-countries, aside from the Republic of the Philippines, include the People’s Republic of China; Hong Kong (People’s Republic of China); Macao (People’s Republic of China); India; Indonesia; Islamic Republic of Iran; Japan; Republic of Korea; Malaysia; Islamic Republic of Pakistan; Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka; Kingdom of Thailand; Republic of Yemen; Republic of Azerbaijan; Socialist Republic of Vietnam; and the Kyrgyz Republic.

As early as 2005, after Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appointed her as “Anti-Corruption Czar”, Ombudsman Gutierrez had envisioned the need for a comprehensive plan that would unify and streamline the government’s anti-corruption plan of action.

Thus, she initiated the establishment of the National Anti-Corruption Program of Action (NACPA)  “out of the recognition of the need for a convergence strategy for collective action in a coordinated fashion to achieve national anti-corruption goals with clear and accountable performance targets.”

The NACPA is a multi-sector, high-level coordinating mechanism that involves the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government, Constitutional Commissions, local government units, civil society, business sector, academe, mass media and international development partners.

The NACPA aims to serve as avenue for effective consultation and coordination among key anti-corruption players; streamline and strengthen anti-corruption commitments of government, civil society, the business sector and the donor community under a comprehensive strategic framework; social marketing of anti-corruption success stories for greater public support and investor confidence; and development of an anti-corruption performance measurement system.

To achieve these, the Multi-Sectoral Anti-Corruption Council (MSACC), the governing and policy determining body of the NACPA, was formed.

Ombudsman Gutierrez presented the NACPA concept during the recent meeting of the AOA, while other countries also presented the research projects  they are currently undertaking.