ARMED Forces chief Lt. Gen. Andres Centino has formed a committee which he said will enhance the institution’s fight against corruption in the 180,000-strong Armed Forces of the Philippines.
Centino led on Tuesday the activation of the AFP Anti-Corruption Committee, which will be headed by Armed Forces vice chief Lt. Gen. Erickson Gloria who is also the chairman of the AFP Office of Ethical Standards and Public Accountability (OESPA).
“As public servants primarily mandated to protect the people and secure the state, it is incumbent upon us in the AFP to perform our duties and responsibilities with utmost integrity, accountability, and transparency,” said Centino.
“This committee will further advance our fight against corruption and to promote the highest standards of transparency and accountability within our organization,” he also said.
The activation of the committee was an offshoot of a Memorandum of Agreement that the AFP earlier signed under the Presidential Anti-Corruption Committee’s (PACC) “Project Kasanga.”
The military said the OESPA will establish a technical working group that will formulate annual action plans, lead the conduct of regular policy and program assessments, and coordinate the AFP anti-corruption campaign with the PACC and other agencies.
“The creation of the AFP Anti-Corruption Committee will complement and enhance the capabilities of OESPA to implement anti-corruption measures, policies, and programs, while establishing interagency coordination to proactively pursue a whole of nation approach in eradicating corruption and related malpractices,” said Centino.
Centino directed all military personnel “to continuously foster a culture of professionalism and transparency in our organization towards the realization of our goal of becoming a world-class armed forces that is a source of national pride.”
