EDITORIAL - Misusing foreign aid

From its headquarters in New York, the United Nations issued a statement yesterday, voicing its expectation that funds released to the Philippine government for UN peacekeeping operations overseas would be utilized “in accordance with national norms and standards.”

The statement was issued amid revelations made by retired military budget officer Lt. Col. George Rabusa about the misuse of funds meant, among others, for UN peacekeeping operations, and the Balikatan joint exercises between Philippine and US troops. Funds were also skimmed, Rabusa alleged, from the purchase of unmanned reconnaissance aircraft from Israel and Howitzer ammunition from Thailand.

Those revelations should remind Congress and the Aquino administration about the need to implement measures promoting transparency in government deals involving other governments or foreign suppliers. Romulo Neri successfully invoked executive privilege in refusing to answer questions from senators, even in executive session, about crucial aspects of the national broadband network deal between the government of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and China’s ZTE. Among the reasons given, and upheld by the Supreme Court, was that disclosure of certain details sought by the Senate from Neri could endanger the country’s diplomatic relations.

Misusing official development assistance can endanger the Philippines’ diplomatic relations even more, and cut off or reduce the country’s access to foreign aid. This wouldn’t be a serious problem if the country did not depend heavily on assistance from its foreign friends for many things including development projects, public health and education programs, and even national defense.

Now the disclosure of Rabusa, supported yesterday by Philippine Air Force Col. Antonio Ramon Lim, shows how the lack of transparency and accountability in the utilization of foreign aid can be exploited by the corrupt. Even the international donor community would want the Philippines to implement measures that will guarantee transparency and public accountability in the utilization of foreign assistance. Those measures must be among the results of the ongoing congressional investigation into corruption in the Armed Forces.