Poe presidency will allow public to scrutinize pols more—Escudero

THE MAN BEHIND GRACE An elated Sen. Francis Escudero joins Sen. Grace Poe onstage on Thursday at Club Filipino, where she named him her running mate in the 2016 elections. Poe announced her presidential bid a day earlier at Ang Bahay ng Alumni in UP Diliman, Quezon City. The anticipated team-up drew a strong mix of show biz and political personalities. NIÑO JESUS ORBETA

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero expressed confidence on Friday that the Bank Secrecy Law would be lifted for government officials and employees, including the President, when Senator Grace Poe becomes president in 2016.

Escudero, running mate of Poe, has filed Senate Bill No. 16 as early as 2007 that would enable the government to audit the finances of all civil servants, including the President.

The bill, which he again filed in 2010 and 2013, seeks to compel government officials and employees, except those who serve in an honorary capacity, to submit a written permission or waiver in favor of the Ombudsman to look into all deposits of whatever nature with banks within and outside the country, including investments in government bonds.

“I’ve always said that public office is a public trust. And government officials and employees should always be open to the scrutiny of the public,” Escudero said in a statement.

In accepting Poe’s offer Thursday to become her running mate next year, the senator vowed to put in place an “iron-fist” campaign against corruption and minimize government discretion on the use of public funds.

READ: It’s official: Grace Poe, Chiz Escudero to run together in 2016

“Kasabay ng pagpasa ng FOI (Freedom of Information) sa lalong madaling panahon at paggamit ng kamay na bakal laban sa tiwali, ipagtitibay namin ni Sen. Poe ang laban sa katiwalian at korapsyon sa pamamagitan ng pagsasaayos ng bawat pagpapasya sa pamahalaan gamit ang simpleng prinsipyo: discretion always equals corruption,” he said.

(At the same time, through the passage of the Freedom of Information Bill and a crackdown on anomalies, we will fight corruption by ensuring that the government will be run on a simple principle—that discretion equals corruption.)

Escudero believes that eliminating discretion would also eliminate corruption.

The newly formed team-up promised to push for the immediate passage of the FOI under a Poe administration.

READ: Grace Poe tireless in promoting FOI bill passage

An FOI law, Escudero said, would play a vital role in the government’s drive to eliminate corruption.

And when combined with an iron-fist campaign, the FOI law would make a strong foundation to fight corruption, which he said has plagued many offices in the bureaucracy.

“For a long-time now, we have been hoping for the enactment of the Freedom of Information bill for greater transparency in governance. We will finally see our efforts bear fruit under a Poe administration,” said Escudero, also a co-author of the proposed bill. Maila Ager/IDL