22/02/2023
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ง๐ญ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ง๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐๐ข๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ฅ๐ฅ๐จ๐ฐ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ ๐ซ๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐๐
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๐๐๐ซ๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐: The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) and 8888 Citizens Complaint Center (CCC) has inked today a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) harmonizing the agencies' complaints and public feedback mechanisms to ensure prompt action and resolution.
The signing was headed by Executive Secretary (ES) and former Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin, Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Hubert Guevarra, ARTA Secretary Ernesto V. Perez, Strategic Action and Response Office (StaR) Undersecretary Rogelio Peig II, ARTA Undersecretary for Legal Geneses Abot, and 8888 CCC Director IV Bernadette B. Casinabe.
The agreement came after 8888 CCC sought ARTA's help in enforcing mandatory compliance to the agency's 72-hour prescribed turnaround time, a window provided for complained government agencies, local government units, and employees to respond or provide an explanation.
With the signing of the MOA, the 8888 CCC is now empowered to serve as a formal complainant to ARTA against unresponsive government institutions.
Failure to render government services within the prescribed processing time is considered a violation under Section 21 (e) of the Republic Act 11032 or the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act of 2018, that is punishable with six (6) months suspension for the first offense and dismissal and perpetual disqualification from public service for the second offense.
This will prompt ARTA to issue a notice of warning to erring agencies, initiate investigation or file necessary cases to the Civil Service Commission (CSC), the Office of the Ombudsman, and other appropriate courts.
"The MOA set up a mechanism to swiftly make any public officer accountable for their failure to perform what is required to them," StAR Undersecretary Peig said during the signing.
In his keynote speech, the Executive Secretary lauded ARTA and its joint effort with the 8888 CCC to continuously eliminate bureaucratic red tape.
"The President is really [determined] in removing red tape in the bureaucracy. And I expect that this one will be the first of more MOUs to happen with ARTA and other relevant agencies of the government," ES Bersamin further encouraged the Authority.
ARTA Secretary Perez then assured collaboration with 8888 CCC and other government agencies in implementing the Ease of Doing Business Law.
โNot only there will a delineation of functions between the 8888 Complaints Center and the ARTA, it really gave more teeth to the enforcement of the programs and initiatives of ARTA under the supervision of the Office of the President," the ARTA Chief said.
Secretary Perez also fully committed to the continuation of ARTA's anti-red tape and ease of doing business programs pursuant to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.'s push for an interconnected and efficient bureaucracy.
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