SILANG, Cavite – The newly seated Silang Mayor Kevin Anarna proved he is not a “patient” man when it comes to the “fight” against corruption.

On his first day of office, he issued two executive orders (EO) one, establishing an “Integrity Task Force” against corrupt officials and employees; two, institutionalizing the “Freedom of Information for Silangueños” – to set mechanisms for transparency of the local government.

“As one of my promises to our constituents and part of my advocacies in public service, I will ‘stamp out’ corruption in the municipal government to improve the services we provide to the people who deserve better than what they have been getting the past decades,” Mayor Anarna said in an interview, Wednesday, July 6, 2022.

The first EO of the local chief executive is to create an “Integrity Task Force”, which will manage and ensure the implementation of integrity measures in all aspects and levels of the municipal government.

The task force is tasked and will be institutionalized to submit quarterly reports on the implementation of integrity initiatives and create policies to ensure “zero” tolerance for corruption in the local government.

The task force comprises the municipal administrator, the legal officer, the head of the Human Resources (HR) department, a representative from the Local Finance Committee, a representative from the rank and file employees, and a representative of a reputable civil society organization.

To further boost his initiatives against corruption, Mayor Anarna also issued EO No. AKA-02 – clears a path to “Freedom of Information in Silang” and establishes mechanisms for transparency in the dealings of the local government.

“A transparent government ensures that everything is done within the bounds of the law, no procedures are circumvented, and only the interest of the people, not self-interest, are implemented,” the Silang mayor said.

The second EO mandates the creation of an FOI manual to guide the government officials, employees, and constituents on the proper procedure for releasing and accessing relevant information.

It also orders the municipal information officer to establish online platforms to promote transparency in public transactions. The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) is also mandated to “livestream” all public biddings on the local government’s social media accounts.

“The municipal government will be able to save a lot of money if we plug all the loopholes and stamp out corruption. The savings will then be put into good use, such as financial and medical assistance to our constituents through our Public Assistance Center,” Anarna explained.

Mayor Anarna ordered the creation of the Public Assistance Center, also known as the Kaagapay Center, to assist the Silangueños in their times of need.

“We hope to raise the bar in public service here in Silang… Silangueños deserve only the best,” Mayor Anarna said.