Be upright, be brave: championing good governance

Malou Mangahas, co-convenor of the Right to Know, Right Now Coalition delivers her talk on the importance of monitoring and fact-finding in ensuring accountability. Media Center 

A university is only as good as its contribution to the community it serves. Beyond being a bastion of knowledge and a space that fosters critical thinking, it must also enable the tangible development of its people, and by extension, that of the nation. 

At Far Eastern University (FEU), this belief is made evident in one of its core values: uprightness. It complements academic excellence and fortitude, and perhaps carries an even greater weight today amid recent corruption scandals that revealed the abhorrent misuse of public funds. It is in this context that FEU’s “Key Concepts of Good Governance” initiative seeks to remind Tamaraws of the essential link between integrity, accountability, and nation-building. 

The initiative, led by the Academic Standards Office, Academic Affairs Office, and Student Development and Continuing Education, started as small classroom discussions from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1. In these engagements, faculty members, along with special guests, former Bayan Muna Party-list representative Teddy Casino,  public interest lawyer, Atty. Jesus Falcis III, former Kabataan Party-list representative Raymond Palatino, and activist Frances Palatino discussed transparency, checks and balance, command responsibility, political will, ethical compass, accountability, commitment to service, stewardship of national resources, and civic duty and activism. In these small classroom sessions, select sections were able to engage with the speakers face-to-face on topics that supplemented their general education courses. 

Last Oct. 20, the initiative was expanded to reach an even broader audience of students through its morning and afternoon sessions, with students filling the FEU Main Auditorium. In the morning session, Atty. Melencio Sta. Maria, former dean of FEU Institute of Law, Atty. Nicole S. Arcaina, executive director of the Ateneo Human Rights Center, and Malou Mangahas, co-convenor of the Right to Know, Right Now Coalition provided their insights on the corruption scandals and good governance from the perspective of the existing legal frameworks, human rights, and journalism. 

Sta. Maria highlighted existing legislation that aim to prevent corruption such as RA 1379 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. He noted, however, that some policy provisions still allow room for corruption. To illustrate, he cited the Maharlika Fund’s use of the term “manifestly” which sets a high bar for proving corruption among board members, as opposed to ordinary government employees who can be investigated on mere suspicion.  

Arcaina shared an anecdote about the corrupt practices within law enforcement. During the drug war under former President Rodrigo Duterte, police officers were allegedly rewarded for eliminating suspected drug pushers or users, and these rewards were supposedly taken from the confidential funds of the Philippine National Police. 

Mangahas, a veteran journalist, highlighted how corruption in the Philippines and the anger people have felt is not anything new, but stressed how it should not end at indignation. She encouraged students to take part in monitoring and fact-finding, which are crucial in demanding accountability and transparency. 

In the afternoon session, Jamila Alindogan, The Outstanding Women in Nation's Service Awardee for Courageous and Honest Journalism, Atty. Jesus Falcis III, and Sarah Jane Raymundo, professor at the Center of International Studies in the University of the Philippines-Diliman, shared perspectives from journalism, local governance, and the academe. 

Alindogan highlighted the role of disinformation on governance as democracy and the government cannot operate with lies and if the people do not trust their institutions. She also noted how journalism should now prioritize truth over mere objectivity like “facts stripped bare.” Instead, the role of journalists now is to provide depth and conscience to the narratives, she said. 

Falcis, who also serves as a barangay official, reminded students that they too are taxpayers despite not yet a part of the workforce. He urged them to get involved not just with what happens in the national government, but also their local officials whom they have access to. 

Raymundo anchored her message on the ideas from Dante Simbulan’s book, “Modern Principalia,” which historicized the political economy of the Philippines that has enabled inequality from the Spanish to the American colonial periods, to the neoliberal shifts of the 70s and 80s. She explained the interactions of colonialism, imperialism, capitalism, and even fascism and how they sought to maintain the status quo.  

“In a modern principalia, democracy is devoid of substance—it is a façade conveniently used by the elite to camouflage the monopoly of power,” said Raymundo. In order to solve corruption issues, she said, a dismantling of the imperialist, feudal, and plutocratic power structures must happen and give way to a government that upholds civic duty and political ethics. 

“A lot of our students are involved and socially aware, so they might already have their own opinions about these corruption scandals in the country. The hope is these lectures, were able to help students to situate their opinions from a more academic orientation,” said Francis Esteban, associate dean of the Institute of Arts and Sciences, in a mix of English and Filipino.  

“Our hope for this forum is to empower action. We want you to see yourselves as part of the solution. May we never tire of rightfully demanding accountability and responsibly call for justice against the corrupt, the oppressors, and those who defile the nation,” said Dr. Joseph Jintalan, senior director of the Academic Standards Office, in his opening remarks.