Whistleblower protection law urgently needed - Satur

In the wake of the assassination of jueteng whistleblower Boy Mayor, Makabayan senatorial bet and Nacionalista Party guest candidate Satur Ocampo has revived calls for the passage of a law protecting whistleblowers.

“The brutal killing of Wilfredo “Boy” Mayor, a confessed jueteng operator from Albay who once tagged President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s son, Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo, two other congressmen and a former lawmaker of benefitting from jueteng in Pampanga yet again shows that the non-existence of policy to protect whistleblowers abets the climate of impunity prevailing in the country,” said Ocampo.

Since there is no legal framework for rewards, protection and security to whistleblowers, there is minimal protection from probable retaliation, trial by publicity, outright miscarriage of justice or summary execution such as the case of Mayor.

Ocampo said that “a whistleblowers protection law should also ensure that public disclosures are made to the proper public authorities, inappropriate publication of unsubstantiated disclosure does not happen and proper records on disclosures are kept and safeguarded.”

Ocampo lamented that the Arroyo administration did nothing to approve his proposed whistleblowers protection and rewards act (House Bill 1715) which he authored. “If elected to the Senate, we shall work towards getting this proposed policy into law,” he said.

“Without a law, corrupt government officials and employees are emboldened to engage in nefarious activities as they feel little fear of exposure or being caught and brought to justice. On the other hand, potential whistleblowers are discouraged, demoralized and dissuaded because they anticipate nothing but hardship when evaluating the effect of any disclosure,” Ocampo said.

He added that in pushing for this law in the near future, the aim is to reverse the worsening condition of graft and corruption in the country.