Ooops. don’t look now, but the guy just made it an international commitment.

By binding the country to such an international agreement, he would be duty-bound to comply with international standards on open government – transparency, citizen empowerment, fighting corruption, and tapping into new technologies.

He could no longer dilly-dally or blame Congress for the failure to institutionalize disclosure of official government business.

Which is quite a victory for local anti-graft advocates, freedom of information campaigners, and activists for direct citizen involvement in the crafting of policies.

It’s amazing what could not be lobbied successfully in the country was easily achieved by the country just signing on to an international agreement.  

And so we welcome President Aquino’s move to join 45 other world leaders in formally launching the Open Government Partnership, a multilateral initiative that aims to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption and harness new technologies.

The President, together with eight other world leaders that comprise the OGP steering committee chaired by US President Obama and co-chaired by Brazil President Rousseff, presented the OGP that concretizes the group’s commitment to the OGP.

The OGP aims to:

* increase the availability of information about the government activities;

* support civic participation;

* implement the highest standards of professional integrity throughout the respective administrations of its members; and;

* increase access to new technologies for openness and accountability.

In his brief remarks, the President told those present that the country’s participation in the OGP is a symbol of his administration’s commitment to honest and effective governance.

“It presents clear advantages to the Philippines: We can access and exchange best practices, peer consultation, and technical assistance in implementing our domestic initiatives,” he was quoted by a major broadsheet as saying .

“The Philippines has always been, and remains committed to, the ideals put forward by the OGP. Being part of a global community of transparency advocates is more than a source of collective strength for us; it also allows our government to strengthen its efforts and find opportunities for cooperation with its peers,” he added.

He expressed confidence that “so long as we stand firmly united in veering away from a jagged path of dishonesty and concealment; and so long as we run governments focused on righting the wrong and staying along the straight path, the coming generations will surely inherit a more peaceful, prosperous, and open world.”

Let’s see the guy come home and begin with the Freedom of Information Bill.