By Stephen J Pedroza
Aimed at harnessing students to become watchdogs against corruption, Xavier University through the Student Activities and Leadership Development (SACDEV) held an orientation and accreditation conference on the Campus Integrity Crusaders (CIC) program of the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB) at XU Little Theater, Aug 8.
In coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd) of Cagayan de Oro City, the event drew together the student government officers of various high schools and colleges across Northern Mindanao.
“We need to empower and instill in the youth today that they have an important role in fighting corruption in the government,” said lawyer Ma. Teresa Gemma L. Gavine, graft investigation and prosecution officer of OMB – CDO.
Formerly known as the Junior Graftwatch Unit (JGU), the CIC refers to any school-based and/or youth organizations recognized by a secondary or tertiary academic institution and accredited by the OMB.
Gavine also discussed the various roles of the Ombudsman, as a watchdog, mobilizer, official critic and dispenser of justice.
Graft prevention and control officer Maria Fe P. Adegue added in her discussion that the OMB’s graft prevention programs underscore the participation of the youth sector in promoting a culture of transparency and integrity in public service.
“A school campus is a smaller version of the Philippine society,” Adegue said. “Campus frauds can already lead to the culture of corruption and dishonesty in the government and other segments of the society.”
Ombudsman taps high school and college students in fight vs graft as part of their public assistance and outreach programs to promote good governance among the youth.
“We need to know what is wrong, where corruption came from. The corrupt officials are also products of private and public schools. That is why we need to engage the students in corruption prevention initiatives,” Adegue highlighted.
The school organizations that attended the conference had a workshop on crafting CIC activities, conducted by Villa D Lim, graft prevention and control officer.
The strategy of accrediting CICs targets to develop the leadership skills and the value of social responsibility among the Filipino youth.