Press Release
August 17, 2010

ANGARA TO LEAD ANTI-CORRUPTION FORUM IN SEPTEMBER

Upon the initiative of Senator Edgardo J. Angara, the Philippines will be host to a three-day regional meeting on anti-corruption that brings together parliamentarians, leaders and other members of civil society from the South East Asian region to discuss strategies to combat corruption, promote transparency and uphold accountability and good governance.

The Regional Task Force Meeting of the South East Asian Parliamentarians Against Corruption (SEAPAC) will be hosted by the Philippines on September 30 to October 2, 2010 at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza.

This meeting will be in preparation for the international biennial conference on anti-corruption to be held in Manila in 2013.

Angara, the only Asian representative to GOPAC and the founding president of SEAPAC, explains, "this conference comes at a very opportune time. This is in tune with the Aquino administration's current flagship program of anti-corruption."

Angara was the driving force behind the establishment of the South East Asia Parlimentarians Against Corruption (SEAPAC) and is a member of the Executive Board of the Ottawa, Canada-based Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC).

The SEAPAC's original 26 Parliament-Members hail from Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Following the most recent GOPAC Executive Committee Meeting held in Ottawa last June, the SEAPAC Regional Meeting in September aims to intensify the fight against corruption.

"Achieving good governance and fighting corruption can be helped by building networks among institutions. International cooperation is an important ingredient. Just as corruption transcends borders, so too must we fight it on a transnational level," said Angara.

He added, "The main goal for this meeting is to gather Southeast Asia's parliamentarians to unite behind fighting corruption and promoting transparency in the government."

Previous conferences have resulted in concrete measures: the ratification of UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), reform dialogues, and the Regional Action Plan and the Manila Declaration, which committed the members to a united plan of action.

Angara was the sponsor in the Senate of the landmark law on government procurement which radically overhauled the rules of bidding and awards in the public sector, and now stands as the country's biggest anti-corruption law.

Angara also authored the law creating the Ombudsman's Office and led the ratification of the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) by the Philippine Senate.

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