A coalition of business and governance organizations is pressing the government to implement sweeping procurement and infrastructure reforms, arguing that recurring corruption scandals highlight deep structural weaknesses in public accountability systems.
In a joint statement, the Institute of Corporate Directors, Institute for Solidarity in Asia, Justice Reform Initiative, and Management Association of the Philippines said recent corruption investigations demonstrate that enforcement mechanisms are functioning but remain inadequate to prevent the repeated misuse of public funds.
The groups renewed calls for a five-point reform agenda centered on stronger prosecution, greater transparency, digital monitoring, and tighter interagency coordination.
Among their key recommendations are the accelerated investigation of major corruption cases, particularly those linked to flood control projects, and the full implementation of transparency and beneficial ownership provisions under the New Government Procurement Act.
The coalition also urged authorities to integrate beneficial ownership databases with procurement, tax, audit, and anti-money laundering systems to help identify hidden contractor relationships and potential conflicts of interest.
In addition, it called for real-time public disclosure of infrastructure project data, including disbursements, cost overruns, delays, variation orders, and contractor concentration.
The groups said stronger coordination among oversight agencies—including the Office of the Ombudsman, Commission on Audit, Anti-Money Laundering Council, Department of Budget and Management, Government Procurement Policy Board, Securities and Exchange Commission, and Bureau of Internal Revenue—is essential to ensure procurement red flags trigger swift investigations and corrective action.
The coalition argued that recent prosecutions are a positive step but warned that lasting reform will depend on preventive systems capable of detecting irregularities before public funds are lost.
The groups said the proposed measures must be implemented together to close loopholes that have persisted across successive administrations.
