consumers' coalition for truthful information

S CONSUMERS of vital goods and services that we pay for with hard-earned resources, and as citizens making up the sovereign body politic, we the undersigned have decided to band together and to draw in many others to campaign for a Culture of Truth among our people – for us to speak, publish and spread the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, and to refuse to countenance lies. We call upon the people to hold sacred the accuracy of information that we spread and receive, for as the Good Book says, we should “seek the truth, for the truth will set (us) free.” It behooves our human dignity to build our communities on the solid ground of mutual trust through honesty and fairness and through vigilance against letting violators of this ideal get away with lying by commission or by omission. As the heroic Kataas-taasan at Kagalang-galangang Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan, that built our nation more than a century ago, said in its Kartilya of moral behavior: “Sa taong may hiya, salita'y panunumpa." (To a person of honor, one’s word is an oath.)

It is universally held in democratic societies that sovereignty resides in the people and all governmental authority emanates from them. Adequate accurate information should therefore flow between the people and the government, among groupings of people and among individual citizens, in order to forge and certify the people’s sovereign democratic will on general and specific policy matters and in order to make possible their mobilization and synergy. The Culture of Truth is a crucial requisite in democratic governance, in the sustainable preservation of law and order, and even in living collectively with a modicum of human decency, human dignity and human harmony.

The socio-cultural resource of a community, from the family and neighborhood to the national and even world community, centrally includes the strong element of people’s mutual trust in one another, with a culture of unflinching devotion to the universal value of Truthful Information. With such devotion comes a strong collective contempt for the distortion and misrepresentation of facts. Lying to the public, directly or through any formal or informal media, ought to be placed on the same level of offense as perjury, punishable by acute loss of credibility, nay honor in the eyes of the public, consigning the unrepentant offender to well-deserved ostracism. This is not to say we should be intolerant of honest mistakes. But many repetitions of mistakes labeled as honest indicate serious levels of incompetence or even irresponsibility on the part of persons whose stature and authority should demand truthfulness in the information they give.

Free choice can only be positively enjoyed if it is informed choice.

When we, as consumers, buy goods and services, we deserve, as a matter of right, to be in possession of adequate and accurate information on the goods and services we are buying, including the crucially necessary factor of full information on all available options, with their respective advantages and disadvantages. Advertising may employ all aesthetically and even psychologically effective means to convince us to buy certain products, but the people ought to be protected against distortions and misrepresentation of facts or even omissions of essential facts.

We, as consumers, should be educated and motivated enough to refuse to countenance violations of the ethics of “Truth in Advertising.” Commodities being sold to the public are supposed to carry proper labeling and enclosed literature, in reasonable size of print, complete with information on all ingredients, instructions for use and maintenance, counterindications, and expiration dates, as applicable, especially food, drugs and beverages and all the components sold separately that are intended to get processed into, or used in preparation or packaging of such health-related materials. Full information should be made available to consumers based on, and including, the current international standards, and the levels of official Philippine compliance with them, with regards to levels of risk in the components, processing and packaging of such products.

When we, collectively as consumers and taxpayers, evaluate candidates’ qualifications for election to public office, or evaluate the performance of government officials and other functionaries under our mandate and under our payroll, when we assert our right to be consulted -- heard and heeded -- in the process of legislating public policy including the allocation of our funds in the national coffers, we need to have adequate accurate information to form our opinions and positions that truly redound sustainably to our collective interests. Information should be made available to consumers on the current international standards, and the levels of claimed and actual Philippine compliance with them, with regards to the quality and adequacy of basic public services such as education, health, and all others covered in the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights promulgated by the United Nations.

Seeking social acceptability for any proposed project or policy affecting any constituency has to go beyond the mere solicitation of approving signatures or reporting the number of hands raised in acquiescence. Let all decision makers have in their possession, with reasonable time for serious evaluation, the fullness of information necessary in aid of all-sided and forward-looking decision-making. Otherwise all these consultation processes become farcically hollow or, worse, become despicable acts of inveigling the people to participate in the forging of their own chains.

We call upon the people as responsible citizens, not to countenance, much less to abet, the spread of inaccurate information. We all lose when we can no longer trust one another’s word and we become increasingly vulnerable to the mob psychology employed by vested interests that would move us to commit acts that ultimately or even immediately redound to our own collective destruction as a nation.

As living channels of information for the community, all who are engaged in mass communication, formally through any media institution or project, or informally by word of mouth, e-mailing or cellphone texting, are called upon to clearly differentiate between statements of fact and expressions of opinion. We call upon them to seek out and responsibly disseminate all important data involving the people and spread any information labeled with its status of certainty, i.e. whether it is a proven certainty, a likelihood, a possibility, etc. Because the people need complete and reliable information to perform their role effectively as the sovereign body politic, all who spread inaccurate data labeled as “certain” should be punished with loss of credibility, or, in serious cases, even ostracism.

Historians and the academe should be asked to go well above the passions and pragmatic considerations of current periods so as not to risk perpetuating the lies that often proliferate in the output of partisan “media.” Lest the lies be embedded like poisons and cancers in the consciousness of our nation forever.

We can do no less for ourselves and our posterity. Let us all work for a Culture of Truth, a crucial factor in the effort to build the national synergy for our salvation and progress. A Culture of Truth can help to hasten our collective awakening to the greatest Truth of all: That we are all one in the plan of the Greatest One, our loving Creator.

(Sgd.) Angelo Mike Ocampo

Founding President,

Philippine Consumers Welfare Union

and Founding Spokesperson, Consumers' Coalition for Truthful Information

(Sgd.) Ed Aurelio C. Reyes

Founding President,

SanibLakas ng Taongbayan Foundation

and Executive Convenor, Consumers’ Coalition for Truthful Information

Signed at Radio Veritas, Quezon City, Philippines, on August 30, 2003,

153rd birth anniversary of Marcelo H. del Pilar, and eve of National Heroes’ Day.

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(An organization may sign on the basis of prior signing by the majority of its members/constituents as individuals)

(YOU MAY ASK QUESTIONS, OFFER COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS, AND EVEN SIGN UP ON-LINE BY SENDING AN E-MAIL MESSAGE TO truthful_information@yahoo.com. Please note the underscore between the words “truthful” and “information” in this e-mail address. Such signatories should include their respective short self-descriptions or “calling card information,” full postal addresses, full email addresses, land-line and cellphone numbers, place of signing and date of signing.)

FIRST 143 SIGNATORIES:

Names in black -- first 100 signatories, 2003 dark red -- signatories from November 2006 dark green -- signatories from 2007

Acejas, Alice (academe);

Acierto, Erlinda (academe);

Acosta, Tony (cooperative sector);

Aguana, Tess (coop sector);

Aguilar, Marina (environmentalist);

Aguilar, Mila (poet)

Agulto, Abelardo (public health sector);

Alindogan, Nelon (coop sector);

Alvarez, Roy (environmentalist, actor)

Andres, Ismael (academe);

Arenas, Coritha (singer; consumer);

Aycocho, Mariano (church sector);

Bacasa, Bryan (environmentalist);

Balaoing, Joseph (academe);

Balicong, Gina Lee Arguilla (coop sector);

Barrozo, Rafael (spiritual group);

Bautista, Delfin (consumer);

Baybado, Pablito A. Jr. (academe);

Benedicto, Jovelyn (coop sector);

Bituin, Gregorio Jr. (writer/environmentalist);

Bongco, Cornel (environmentalist);

Borcens, Patria Gwen (environmentalist);

Borja, Felix (coop sector);

Briones, Jessie (environmentalist);

Bucoy, Juliet (academe);

Caancan, Walter C. (consumer)

Cabato, Carmen (academe);

Cabides, Nilo S. (academe);

Cabonegro, Roy (environment movement);

Calo, Theresa (environmentalist);

Calonzo, Manny (environmentalist);

Caniete, Herman (academe);

Caparas. Perfecto III (legal profession);

Cardenal, Zenaida (coop sector);

Casare, Raymond (consumer);

Cruz, Ronel de la (academe);

Cruzada, Tony (coop sector);

Cuesta, Roxanne de la (as a citizen);

Cunanan, Angie environment movement)

Cuyos, Fanny (academe);

Dalangin, Rodolfo (coop sector);

David, Eduardo (coop sector);

Deveraturda, Rex (consumer);

Doria, Nito (academe);

Espinosa, Edwin (environmentalist);

Echague, Jose III (academe);

Edwards, Michael (scouting leader)

Favio, Fr. Andy (coop sector);

Ferrer, Faye (environmentalist);

Ferrer, Merci (environmentalist);

Fetizanan, Arcelio coop sector;

Fierro, Vic del (consumer);

Fontejon, Roland (consumer);

Galanda, Ben Jr. (environmentalist);

Galang, Dr. Angelina (environmentalist, academe);

Garcia, Mila R. (consumer, poet);

Garcia, Ren Jr. (civil service);

Geneta, Hansel.(academe);

Gois, William (academe);

Gonzales, Ernesto R. (academe);

Gorvi, Melanie (environmentalist);

Gulinca, Epi (coop sector);

Gutierrez, Richard (environmentalist);

Hagedorn, Edward (environment movt, local govt.)

Hamili, Ma. Saturnina (academe);

Hernandez, Nonie (coop movement);

Hidalgo, Romeo (environmentalist, businessman);

Hilum, Felina (consumers);

Japinan, Hugo “Boyet” (peace advocate);

Javelosa, Ricarte (environm'tal resources specialist);

Jesus, Leni del (coop sector);

Jimenez, Rolando (coop sector);

Jopson-Kintanar, Gloria A. (consumer)

Kamping, Catherine (environm't movt, youth sector);
Karganilla, Bernard (academe);

Labayen, Bishop Julio Xavier (religious sector);

Lais, Jolly (Muslim advocate of peace & consumers) Laurente, Oscar (consumer);

Leonardo, Dennis (church sector);

Lim, Maria Irene (environmentalist);

Llose, Rowena B. (academe);

Manalo, Arnold (environmentalist);

Manawin, Heidi (academe);

Manlawin, Belen (consumer);

Manzo, Jocelyn "Kalinangan" M. (facilitator);

Maluto, Carmen (academe);

Marciano, Marie (environment movement);

Marciano, Vinia Dingle (consumer);

Medina, Noemi Alindogan (academe);

Mendoza, Faustino Jr. (academe, business);

Mendoza, Sonia (environmentalist);

Mesa, Lally de (coop sector);

Milan, Vic O. (environment movement);

Millendez, Anacleto (physician);

Mirafuente, Arnulfo (spiritual; group);

Montalban, Pia (youth advocate);

Natulla, Erlinda (academe);

Navarro, Corazon N. (consumer/broker);

Obusan, Tessie (historical-cultural enthusiast);

Ocampo, Mike (consumers);

Oredina, Cecilia R. (womens' issues advocate)

Osorio, Terence (environmentalist);

Palacol, Joyce (consumer/citizen);

Palispis, Epitacio (academe);

Parafina, Joseph (media);

Paredes, Mercedita (entrepreneur, consumer);

Pasia, Dante (environment movement);

Paulin, Ma Socorro (overseas Filipina);

Paypon, Ben (media);

Peña, Mon de la (cooperative sector)

Peñamante, Claro (entrepreneur);

Peñamante, Pura (academe);

Punzalan, Orly (media);

Quimzon, Ester (environmentalist);

Ramirez, Mina (academe);

Reyes, Becky (consumer);

Reyes, Ed Aurelio C. (academe. etc.);

Reyes, Surf (filmmaker, consumer);

Reyes, Thea Rhose (consumer);

Reyes, Marlene de los (coop sector);

Rivera, Violeta (environmentalist);

Robledo, Joydee C. (consumer, civil service);

Roldan, Philip (consumers);

Rosario, Rodolfo 'Jojo' Jr. del (consumer/corporate);

Rosario, Soc Anthony del (cooperative movement);

Sambrano, Nelly (environmentalist);

Santa Cruz, Angelica (consumer/citizen)

Santa Cruz, Emmanuel (consumer/citizen)

Santa Cruz, Ernesto (with Baby Jochim) (environmentalist);

Santa Cruz, Gabrielle Anne (environmentalist)

Santa Cruz, Melissa (consumer/citizen)

Santander, Noel (academe);

Santiago, Tricia (consultant, trainer)

Santos, Alexander (consumer);

Segovia, Victoria (environm't movement, academe)

Sto. Domingo, Joel (cooperative movement, media)

Tadena, Ces Q. (environmentalist);

Tagle, Ester Perez de (environmentalist);

Talastas, Liberty C., RSW (katutubo, social worker);

Tapia, Joel (businessman)

Torregroza, Aproniano (tailor, consumer)

Ty, Liza (consumer);

Umandap, Samuel (environment movement);

Verzosa, Candelario Jr. (coop movement)

Villasor, Antonio R. (human rights movement);

Virata, Karen Angela (consumer);

Virata, Vivien (consumer).

Yting, Abelardo (Abel) (consumer)

(If you haven't signed up, please read our Basic Declaration and sign up now thru the feedback box below. Give us your "Yes!" and tell us why.)

The list of supporting signatories is being updated periodically. Each signatory agrees to campaign for wider popularization of our "Quest for a Culture of Truth" and specific statements logically flowing from it, and to campaign also for more signatory-campaigners. Those who opt to be more active are requested to state this readiness in an e-mail message addressed to truthful_information@yahoo.com.

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CONSUMERS & COMMUNICATORS
FOR TRUTHFUL iNFORMATION

(CCTI)

COURSES OF ACTION!

Manual of Prescribed CCTI Courses of Action for Various Circumstances

A. AFFIRMATIONS

Circumstances for action: A person or entity speaks out with declarations in support of, or are consistent with, the contents of our Basic Declaration, titled “Quest for A Culture of Truth,” or actually take action along these lines.

Actions to be taken:

STEP A: Write a letter of commendation/affirmation, describing the pertinent statement and/or action, and quoting the most relevant portions of our Basic Declaration. Attach to this letter the full text of our Basic Declaration

STEP B: Send to:

1. The doer of the action / source of the declaration(s)

2. All the members of CCTI and its e-mail list group

3. The general public (thru the commercial and non-commercial mass media, the various e-mail list groups, etc.)

STEP C: Engage the main addressee in exploratory talks to join CCTI’s “Circle of Torchbearers for the Truth” and help propagate the Basic Declaration among their respective spheres of influence. Report to the CCTI constituency and the general public about the results of the talks, and issue follow-up reports as necessary

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B. PROTEST STATEMENTS

Circumstances for action: There is an official government, corporate or civil society action or policy that runs counter to the spirit and specific passages of the CCTI Basic Declaration (“Quest for A Culture of Truth”).

Actions to be taken:

STEP A: Prepare a statement of protest, clearly mentioning the offensive act or pronouncement, and the Constitutional principle, law or rule supporting truth and transparency, and enclosing the text of the CCTI Basic Declaration (with the most pertinent passages highlighted).

STEP B. Send a copy of the statement as a formal letter to the doer of the offending act and/or author of the offending pronouncement, Send out this protest statement to all other directly concerned individuals and entities, and to the general public through all available channels of mass communication.

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C. INVESTIGATIVE AND REFERRAL ACTIONS

Circumstances for action: A government, corporate or civil-society functionary or instrumentality says or does something that we feel is or may be violative of the Constitution and of other laws or the principles of basic decency.

Actions to be taken:

STEP A: Write a letter of inquiry to the person(s) who have direct knowledge about the suspected wrongdoing and request for complete written information on the matter.

STEP B: Upon receipt of the letter(s) of information, execute a sworn statement to the effect of such information being received by CCTI. Send a CCTI letter of acknowledgement of receipt of the letter, attaching a photocopy of the sworn statement, copy of the CCTI Basic Declaration.

STEP C: Write a letter of inquiry including the following questions about policy:

1. What existing national and local laws/measures, memoranda, circulars, and rules are pertinent (to the behavior involved in the incident suspected to be illegal or unreasonable)? What are the respective bases/rationales of these laws/policies?

2. What sanctions are in place for violations of these policies? What criteria and processes are involved in the application of such sanctions, if any? When was the promulgation of the policies governing such system of sanctions and their applications as appropriate? Who was the issuing authority of the rules? Are there systems of redress of grievances and systems of restitution as appropriate?

3. Who is/are authorized to modify by addition or omission the rules governing the (behavior that can be considered illegal or unreasonable)?

4. Send this letter via registered mail to the head of office responsible for the action of the individual(s) concerned? Send also via registered mail a courtesy copy to the head of office of the instrumentality immediately superior to the main addressee. Immediately have these letters handcarried and officially received.

STEP D: If no response is received after 15 working days, write a follow-up letter, enclosing the original letter, and indicating as reason for our expectation of immediate written response the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees (RA No. 6713), which mandates in Section 5 (a) that “All public officials and employees shall, within fifteen (15) working days from receipt thereof, respond to letters, telegrams or other means of communications sent by the public. The reply must contain the action taken on the request. This should also be sent to the same addressees and the same way as prescribed in Step C-4. above.

STEP E: If no response is received after another 15 days, repeat STEP D by sending a second follow-up letter, to the same addressees plus the office of the Ombudsman and the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and the same way as prescribed in STEP C-4, enclosing both the original letter and the first follow-up letter,

STEP F: If no response is received after these follow-up letters, file a case with the Ombudsman for violation of RA 6713.

STEP G: If some response is received but does not address the questions of the original letter, write a letter saying so and formally seek the involvement of the IBP and of the higher instrumentality(ies) for clarifying the issues. Attach all the pertinent documents.

STEP H. Send the letter via the same process prescribed in STEP C-4 to all the previous addressees, to the head of office of the higher instrumentality(ies), and to the Integrated Bar of the Philippines, and also send copies the normal way to the publishers, newsdesks and opinion makers of the commercial mass media, as well as to offices of non-government and people’s organizations whose line of concern is involved in the matter at hand.

STEP I. If a response is received from the main instrumentality concerned in the event, issue a CCTI comment on the response and the summary of CCTI actions, mentioning the CCTI’s receipt of actual report(s) on a specific incident, and enclosing the text of the response and of the CCTI Basic Declaration. Send it to the all appropriate addressees, including the source of the original letter of the source(s) of written information in STEP A.

STEP J: Assess the entire process and its results, and plan for the needed legal or advocacy work on the basis of the relevant conditions and circumstances at this point.

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D. EDUCATIONAL AND PROMOTIONAL WORK

Circumstances for action: Certain institutions, organizations and individuals manifest the desire to imbibe more deeply the message of the CCTI Basic Declaration and/or to learn the skills needed to perform concrete actions to advance its spirit and contents. Growing public interest in the CCTI, as a result of its output and actual performance, especially if there are nuances or misinterpretations needing to be clarified,

Actions to be taken:

STEP A: Develop information dissemination systems for CCTI messages to effectively and promptly reach the broad public, especially certain priority audiences.

1. Develop teams of writers, speakers researchers, and lawyers for the CCTI.

2. Develop and refine primers and education modules for various forms of maximization, including the conduct of seminars and symposia nationwide.

3. Develop effective promotion materials for a widescale public campaign

E. SOLIDARITY AND ORGANIZATIONAL WORK

Circumstances for action: Certain institutions, organizations and individuals manifest the desire to link up closely with CCTI even on the basis of very specific aspects of its work. The expected growth of the number of signatory-members among members and personnel of institutional, organizational and residential communities, with natural leaders seeking to be actively involved in CCTI work right where they are and willing to facilitate the synergy of enough member-signatories in their own communities.

Actions to be taken:

STEP A: Prepare the conceptual and documentary basis for the formalization of the CCTI as a nationwide organization (also involving the overseas Filipinos). These would include the drafting, discussion, refinement and ratification of a CCTI organizational charter detailing processes and structures; clear enumerations of the criteria, rights, responsibilities for individual members; clear resolution of the matter of whether to have member-organizations and chapters; etc.

STEP B: Continue expanding the number of signatory-members and develop effective systems of communication, tasking/accountability, leadership development, and the spirit and practice of teamwork among them.

STEP C: Network with all public, civic-society, and corporate entities as well as individuals who can in the soonest time possible commit to certain stable premises and mechanisms for working closely together, whether or not they decide to part of the CCTI as an organization. (examples: Rotary Clubs, considering the first item of their 4-Way Test; the scouting organizations, considering the first item of the Scout Oath; consumer groups; lawyer associations; groups of responsible mediapersons; values-oriented institutions and groups; etc.)

Quezon City, October 2003

Prepared by Ed Aurelio C. Reyes, CCTI Executive Convenor

Noted by: Mike Angelo Ocampo, CCTI National Spokesperson

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