-- Thomas Gordon, Cato's Letters, no. 38

The authority to exercise political power is conditional upon the sustained trust of the public. These political authorities who hold positions of public trust should account for their actions to the people. It is the confidence of the people that directs and empowers authorities to perform their duties and obligations in accordance to what they ought to deliver to the people who put them in position. This trust can only be maintained through open, honest, accountable and transparent government, fundamentally through good governance.

Perhaps good governance is one of the most overused words in the government circle nowadays. Former Finance Secretary Dr. Jesus Estanislao, who now serves as the Director of the Institute of Corporate Affairs for Asia (ICD) and the Institute for Solidarity in Asia (ISA), defined good governance as “the use and

However for good governance to really thrive in the government, a code of ethics must be abided by both the people and the government. There should be a strong partnership between them and must pledge to the principles of fairness, integrity, effectiveness, solidarity, transparency, and accountability. Good governance must be based on shared values, on the universal values found in the United Nations Charter, which include equality, tolerance, dignity, freedom, justice and the peaceful resolution of differences. This means that the government should have open electoral processes to build the confidence and trust of the people. Ordinary men and women should have a say in how their affairs be managed, so that government institutions can be as close as possible in delivering their needs and aspirations. This broad participation of citizens is built on freedom of association and speech as well as capacities to participate constructively. Also, the rule of law must be fair and must protect the laws on human rights. There should also be transparency in the government; meaning there must be free flowing of information to the general public and clarity about government rules and regulations.

Good governance is therefore rooted in the code of ethics and in the sacredness of public trust. It is the public trust that measures the confidence of the people on how political authorities carry out their functions in the government. It is the public trust of the people that drive political authorities to have good governance in the nation wherein public resources and social, economic, and political problems are managed effectively and efficiently and in response to the crit

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