LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines – A photograph of Naga Metropolis Mayor Leni Robredo coming into her biometrics on their capitol’s time recorder went viral final July.
In keeping with the submit’s caption, Robredo’s employees had been shocked that even the mayor didn’t exempt herself from timing out and in.
“Mukhang mawawala na ang ‘authorities time’ (aka late and tamad) sa Naga Metropolis,” Jesus Falcis, a digital creator, stated on a Fb submit.
(It seems to be like authorities time aka ‘tardy and lazy’ will probably be gone in Naga Metropolis.)
The transfer is symbolic of the adjustments being instituted by the previous Philippine vice chairman aimed toward restoring the legacy of honesty, transparency, and good governance of her late husband, Jesse.
“Wala naman talaga akong plano na maging mayor ng Naga Metropolis kung hindi dahil sa napakaraming situations ng corruption na nakikita talaga,” Robredo stated in an interview with Rappler.
(I actually had no plans to run for mayor of Naga Metropolis if not for the numerous seen situations of corruption.)
She pledged that corruption gained’t occur beneath her management. Robredo is on her first time period as metropolis mayor. She represented the third District of Camarines Sur from 2013 to 2016 earlier than serving as vice chairman beneath the Rodrigo Duterte authorities.
What are a few of the reforms Robredo has initiated to this point?
Corruption in Naga
On her first day in workplace, Robredo issued her first govt order (EO) — the Zero Tolerance Coverage Towards Corruption of 2025. It states that Naga has lengthy been acknowledged as a pioneer in participatory governance, transparency reforms, and people-centered administration. Nonetheless, it was acknowledged that corruption has but to be eradicated.
As an illustration, there are circumstances of substandard infrastructure tasks and procurement transactions that resulted within the supply of products and providers that don’t meet the precise wants of the constituents.
Moreover, non-compliance by some personnel with procurement guidelines and necessities has compromised operational effectivity and credibility. Considerations about non-merit-based hiring of public servants have additionally been raised.
“Mababang mababa na ang confidence ng tao (sa gobyerno) dahil paulit-ulit silang binibigo. Marami nang nagpromise sa kanila earlier than na magiging malinis ang pamamahal pero hindi ito nangyari,” Robredo stated.
(The general public’s confidence within the authorities may be very low as a result of they repeatedly failed them. Lots of them already promised clear governance but it surely didn’t actually occur.)
If these recurring lapses should not addressed, the general public’s confidence and belief in authorities establishments will repeatedly erode, she stated.
Consistent with Robredo’s purpose of restoring good governance, Naga Metropolis’s Inner Audit Service (IAS) will play a key function in implementing the anti-corruption coverage.
Periodic inside audits, efficiency critiques, and spot checks of places of work shall be performed to make sure the compliance of all authorities staff.
Numerous unbiased audits, citizen suggestions mechanisms, and civil society experiences will probably be tapped to assist test anomalies within the implementation of presidency applications.
In her inaugural speech, Robredo highlighted that there isn’t a place for corruption in Naga. She believes that to ensure that public officers to work effectively, the workforce must be strengthened and their morale must be raised.
The second part of the EO states that town authorities commits to a governance tradition the place graft and corruption should not tolerated, the place the rule of legislation prevails, and the place public workplace is exercised solely within the curiosity of the folks.
The IAS will probably be chargeable for monitoring the processes and applications of all the forms. This contains checking authorities efficiency of all departments, items, and places of work within the metropolis.
They may operate independently of operational departments and report on to Robredo.
A governance and safety scorecard will probably be utilized by the IAS to evaluate the adherence of the departments, places of work, items, and personnel to the core ideas of fine governance.
An annual governance and integrity report shall be submitted to town mayor and the Sangguinang Panglungsod by March of yearly. A abstract model will probably be publicly accessible via the federal government’s official communication channels for transparency functions.
Robredo shared that there are nonetheless lots of issues that have to be carried out, particularly because it has solely been over two months since she assumed the place.
“Tingin ko, hindi siya [kayang ayusin] in a single day dahil proseso siya pero ang pinakamahalaga ay inaayos ang sistema para mas mahirap maging corrupt,” Robredo stated. (I feel it will possibly’t be fastened in a single day as a result of it’s a course of, however what’s most necessary is that the system is being improved to make it tougher for corruption to occur.)
Removing of confidential funds
Alongside along with her zero-tolerance for corruption coverage, Robredo vowed to take away confidential funds from town’s funds.
That is a part of Robredo’s pledge on clear and strengthened governance. This was additionally one of many reforms instituted by Jesse when he was the mayor of Naga Metropolis from 1988 to 1998 and from 2001 to 2010.
Jesse revealed Naga’s full funds on town’s web site throughout his time period. His i-Governance Program that was launched in 2001 included the Full Disclosure Coverage on the metropolis stage, years earlier than it turned a Division of Inside and Native Authorities (DILG) mandate in 2010 beneath his management of the company for 2 years through the Aquino administration.
Leni’s elimination of confidential funds has influenced different mayors to do the identical of their cities.
Efren Gica, mayor of Dumanjug, Cebu Metropolis, introduced on July 1 that he would comply with Naga Metropolis’s lead by scrapping the confidential fund allocation in his municipality’s funds efficient instantly.
Boots Rodriguez of Capas, Tarlac additionally declared that they might eradicate confidential funds from their 2026 municipal funds. He stated that he realized such funds might certainly be eliminated after seeing Robredo’s transfer in Naga Metropolis, difficult the notion that this allocation was fastened or untouchable.
Flood of corruption
Given the nationwide scandal over corruption in flood management tasks, the general public is much more adamant in demanding transparency from public officers and reforms in governance.
Bong Rodriguez, a former marketing campaign supervisor of Robredo, shared in an interview with Rappler that despite the fact that the marketing campaign towards corruption is a good transfer, a single particular person can not patch the failings in all the system.
“Greater than management, kailangan natin ayusin ang system. I-amplify ang pag-ayos sa system (we have to repair the system, amplify fixing the system) that may make it laborious for corruption to prosper,” Rodriguez stated.
This downside with flooding has been a problem, not simply in Naga, however all the nation for a few years now, particularly with local weather change.
Consistent with this, Robredo just lately invited Mahar Lagmay, a geologist and govt director of Mission Noah, to speak in regards to the metropolis’s flood publicity hazard. This strengthens the preparedness of faculties, businesses, and barangays within the metropolis towards flooding hazards.
Rodriguez stated that this motion of setting up the proper system will earn higher outcomes than flood management tasks that aren’t backed by science. “With the appliance of knowledge science, mas focused ang options (options are higher focused),” he stated.
Robredo recalled how, through the time of Rogelio “Babes” Singson, who was public works secretary through the Benigno Aquino III administration from 2010 to 2016), desilting was discouraged as a result of it was liable to corruption.
The zero tolerance for corruption coverage additionally mandates that there shouldn’t be any type of corruption amongst public officers and contractors within the technique of executing public works tasks.
It’s said within the EO that public officers and personnel shall adhere to the very best requirements of honesty, decency, and ethical braveness, particularly in all procurement and bidding actions. Any try and affect contract awards via bribery, bid-rigging, kickbacks, nepotism, or patronage, in addition to another abuse of authority, shall be promptly investigated and met with strict disciplinary or authorized sanctions.
Moreover, town authorities shall foster a procurement setting through which transparency, aggressive equity, and moral conduct are adopted.
Nagueños’ doubts
Bryan Ortiz, a political science professor from Bicol College, stated that the entire eradication of corruption in Naga Metropolis in three years will be extraordinarily tough.
“Kung gusto niya na matapos yan, kailangan niyang manatili dyan for multiple time period,” Ortiz stated. (If she desires to complete that, she wants to remain within the place for multiple time period.)
Some residents of Naga are additionally uncertain that corruption will probably be utterly erased of their metropolis.
Nanette Buena, a 47-year-old avenue vendor from Concepcion, Naga Metropolis, thinks that it’s nearly unimaginable to eradicate corruption amongst politicians.
“Pirmi man talaga ‘yan could korapsyon. Gabos na politiko nagyayaman, wara man nanggana na mas lalong nagtios,” Buena stated. (There may be all the time corruption. All politicians get wealthy; there’s by no means been anybody who turned poorer after profitable.)
If the coverage is correctly executed, Buena believes that their high quality of residing in Naga Metropolis will probably be loads higher.
A avenue meals vendor from San Felipe, Naga Metropolis, additionally shares the identical sentiment with Buena.
He believes that to ensure that this coverage to truly work, the struggle towards corruption ought to begin with the mayor herself. He emphasised that if the chief is admittedly dedicated to eradicating corruption, she’s going to be capable of deal with even those that are from the smallest authorities items.
Regardless of the doubt of the Nagueños, Robredo assured that she’s going to do every part that she will throughout her administration to regain the belief of the general public.
“Could pinanggagalingan kung bakit ganiyan yung tao kasi parang naging synonymous na yung corruption sa public workplace. Kaya ang pinakagoal talaga natin ay ipakita sa tao na hindi masama ang public workplace, hindi masama ang magtrabaho sa gobyerno, (at) hindi masama maging politiko,” Robredo stated in an interview with Rappler.
(There’s a motive why folks assume that method — as a result of corruption has nearly grow to be synonymous with public workplace. That’s why our predominant purpose is to point out folks that public service isn’t dangerous, that working in authorities isn’t dangerous, and that being a politician isn’t dangerous both.) – Rappler.com
Hershey Juan is a fourth-year journalism pupil at Bicol College. An Aries Rufo Journalism Fellow of Rappler for 2025, she can be a public relations employees member of the Bicol Universitarian.
