Yes to more anti-corruption measures

The recent suspension of a district engineer in Baguio City over the alleged tampering and alteration of public documents related to projects there of the Department of Public Works and Highways is at once welcome, and a cause for concern.

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The district engineer's suspension is positive, of course. A crime has potentially been stopped.

But whether such destruction of evidence has not happened in other DPWH, how could we be sure?

Protect evidence

The order for all DPWH central, regional and district offices to submit documents to the Independent Commission for Infrastructure may not be enough in the face of public clamor for investigation and transparency.

All agencies of government — not just DPWH and including the ICI — should publish documents, contracts and expenditure receipts charged against public funds.

Add to these: The full records of the House appropriations committee, the Senate finance committee, and bicameral committee, and record of every amendment or insertion proposed by lawmakers.

The government should also furnish duplicate and certified copies of all these documents, contracts and evidence to the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and the University of the Philippines for storage, safekeeping, digitalization, and greater public access.

This will make the public a more informed participant in the investigations, and enable citizens who are lawyers, accountants, or anti-corruption advocates to study the documents.

SALNs, bank secrecy waivers

Elsewhere, Faustino "Bojie" Dy III, the new Speaker of the House, has said he is "willing" to disclose his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net-worth.