NPC, PACC join hands versus corruption

THE National Press Club of the Philippines (NPC), together with the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce, Inc. (FFCCII), have agreed to join the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) in the national campaign to combat corruption in government.

During the simple covenant signing of the parties held via Zoom on September 7, 2021, with more than 80 participants, both organizations agreed to “participate actively as a civil society organization member” of the recently-created National Anti-Corruption Coordinating Council (NACCC).

The NPC is one of the Philippines’ oldest but biggest organization of active members of the press while the FFCCII is the country’s biggest federation of Filipino business groups of Chinese ancestry.

The NPC was represented by its president, Paul M. Gutierrez and other NPC officers while the FFCCII was represented by its president, Henry Lim Bon Liong, along with his fellow officials.

The PACC, for its part, was represented by Chairman Greco Belgica.

Gutierrez, in his message, said the PACC’s invitation for the NPC to join the government’s anti-corruption effort is a “reflection of the success the NPC leadership has made in the past few years in weeding out the undesirables and the fake members of the press in the Club’s roster of membership.”

“The success of this effort is now reflected in the recognition being accorded by both the government and those in the private sector to the NPC as a media organization that deserves respect and which truly represents the interests of the country’s working journalists,” he added.

“As we welcome this invitation, rest assured that the NPC and its affiliate organizations all over the country shall stand side-by-side with the PACC in exposing and preventing any instance of graft and corruption in government, despite the risk this entailed,” Gutierrez said.

Highlight of the event was the parties’ signing of an ‘Oath of Cooperation and Undertaking’ where the NPC and the FFCCII also committed to free their respective organizations from corruption; cooperate with the government in its program against corruption; voluntarily report all cases of corruption to the PACC; and, validate reports of corruption referred by the PACC or other members of the NACCC.

The NACCC was formed last September 3, 2021 in another simple ceremony, involving 49 departments, agencies and bureaus from the executive branch.

Gutierrez also called on members of the press to assist in the formation of ‘ACCs’ (anti-corruption committees) in their localities.