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Accountability is an ethical concept. It simply means being
responsible to someone or for some activity.
They say that originally the word was an
extension of the Latin word accomptare (to account), a prefixed form
of computare (to calculate), which in turn derived from putare (to
reckon) and commonly used in the money lending systems that first
developed in ancient Greece and later in Rome.
As it permeates human conduct, accountability
connotes the existence of an obligation or a duty demanded by some
social force. It can be moral, which is usually self-imposed based
on the norms and culture embraced by the actor. It could also be
legal when compelled by some legitimate or recognized authority.
Most, if not all, of existing legal accountabilities however are
premised on moral accountability. Thus, the finer distinction is
hardly noticeable.
Within the framework of a global consensus
leaning highly towards the promotion and protection of democratic
institutions, accountability is a centerpiece concern or issue in
public governance. And this has reference to the need for those who
govern to be highly accountable to their constituency.
Public accountability is a legal duty because it
is always defined by a set of statutes or duly promulgated rules
obviously to make it obligatory. This duty always carry with it
financial accountability, performance accountability and
institutional or structural accountability. In some jurisdiction or
entities, accountability even extends to individual behavior or
conduct for the obvious reason that they affect or jeopardize the
strict observance of a legal duty.
Experts say that public accountability has two
dimensions: answerability (for power holders to explain or justify
their actions) and enforceability (having reference to the system or
mechanism of penalties and punishment when accountability is
breached). Otherwise, accountability becomes useless.
In order to attain these dimensions, a policy of
“transparency” is vital. Transparency can be in the sense of
voluntary or full disclosure of power-holders or securing the right
of the constituency or the stakeholders of their right to
information.
And since public accountability is ingrained as
a social contract, it is very difficult for any illegitimate rule to
be entrusted with this obligation. From the entire gamut of the
public accountability framework rests public trust and credibility.
Without public trust and credibility, the
capacity and fitness to govern is severely affected and becomes
highly questionable, a case of breaching the social contract.
The Philippine Constitution no less devoted an
entire article on public accountability of government functionaries
the essence of which is expressed in this wise: “Public office is
a public trust. Public officers and employees must at all times be
accountable to people, serve them with utmost responsibility,
integrity, loyalty, and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice,
and lead modest lives.”
By simply looking at the frustrating
developments in Philippine politics since this mandate was enshrined
in the fundamental law, it seems to be more of a motherhood
statement than an honest to goodness imprimatur. Who would disagree
that every single duty referred to in the quoted provision from the
context of structural, financial, structural and individual
accountability is being violated with impunity?
Because the constitutional demand for public
accountability is not self-executing, the country had good laws
against corruption and on ethical standards. But they either become
dead for lack of political will to enforce or simply become unjust
because of selective application. Public office is a most
sought career because it is the surest path to fame, power and
wealth. How they live their lives is ostentatious.
Transparency in the country’s public
governance is a mere pigment of the imagination. The right of the
people to public information is a tale. Recent events calling
for the invocation of the so-called executive privilege even make
the tale appalling.
Public accountability meant “being
responsible” in the normal scheme of things. It meant
“taking responsibility” in the ideal sense. But in the
Philippines, it seems that public accountability is neither.
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