Bernas Institute launches On The Sounding Board series with “The Accountability Imperative” forum

The Fr Joaquin G Bernas SJ Institute for Continuing Legal Education of the Ateneo Law School launched its new On The Sounding Board series on 6 November 2025, with its inaugural forum titled “The Accountability Imperative – Whither the Rule of Law?”

The new series is an initiative of the Bernas Institute to engage with the most pressing issues shaping Philippine society today—in the spirit of Fr Bernas’s Sounding Board columns. Through forums, campaigns, and other public engagements, it seeks to create spaces for meaningful dialogue and learning in furtherance of a shared commitment to the rule of law.

The inaugural forum tackled the findings and implications of the recently released Ateneo School of Government Position Paper on the Pillage of the Budget, which examined the issues arising from the recently exposed flood control scandal. Amidst widespread misinformation, political evasion, and media manipulation, the discussion asked the essential question, Whither the Rule of Law? --contextualizing the controversy within the broader framework of public accountability, governance ethics, and legal integrity. 

In her opening remarks, Atty Lily K Gruba, Executive Director of the Fr Joaquin G Bernas SJ Institute for Continuing Legal Education, described the flood control scandal as “a man-made tragedy”—a disaster not of nature but of governance. She underscored the importance of examining how lapses in accountability and integrity erode the rule of law and public trust.

Former Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad delivered the keynote presentation, providing an in-depth explanation of the national budget process—its cycle of preparation, review, and approval, and the institutional checks and balances meant to ensure transparency.

Abad discussed how, despite these safeguards, systemic weaknesses and bypassed procedures have allowed irregularities to occur. He compared the unprecedented number of fund realignments in the current administration to those of previous years, emphasizing that the issue is not merely fiscal but also ethical and institutional, as it reflects failures of public accountability.

Atty Eugene T Kaw, faculty member of the Ateneo Law School and Chair of the Department of Marketing and Law at the John Gokongwei School of Management, served as reactor to the presentation. He discussed the legal implications of the flood control scandal, noting the need for stronger accountability mechanisms and preventive safeguards within public institutions. He emphasized that genuine accountability must go beyond punishment and focus on building systems that deter wrongdoing and uphold integrity.

An open forum followed, where participants engaged the speakers in a lively exchange of ideas on transparency, governance, and the challenges of enforcing accountability.

Closing the event, Dean Jose Maria G Hofileña, Dean of the Ateneo School of Law, thanked Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad and Atty Eugene Kaw for their insights, and all participants for taking part in what he described as a “meaningful community discourse.” He urged everyone to remain resolute in their belief that genuine change is necessary “for the sake of our nation, our fellow Filipinos, our loved ones, and ourselves,” and reminded the students to stay “mindful of [their] heart and soul” so that, as future members of the bar, they may embody the profession’s true nobility through genuine and selfless service to others.