28 October 2023 – The Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Commission on Elections – Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Concerns (COMELEC – CBFSC) in Palacio del Gobernador, Intramuros, Manila on 20 October 2023 to improve the online payment process of Certificates of Authority issued by the committee.

The MOU covers the issuance of Certificates of Authority for Law Enforcement Agencies
(CA-LEA), Diplomatic Missions (CA-DM), Security Agencies (CA-SA), Cashiers/Disbursement Officers (CA-C/DO), High-Risk Individuals (CA-HRI), Security Details (CA-SD), Transport (CA-TT) and Sports Shooters (CA-SS).

This partnership aims to ensure the sustained operations of the logistics and supply chain sectors amidst the implementation of the gun ban during the election season through preventing interruptions in the efficient and speedy delivery of goods and services nationwide.

It is also one of the efforts to reinforce one of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s Socioeconomic Agenda to facilitate the transformation and digitalization processes and procedures under the whole-of-government approach to improve the country’s bureaucratic efficiency.

“We are witnessing a collaboration between a constitutional body, the COMELEC, and a government agency under the Office of the President working towards ease of doing business in the Philippines,” ARTA Secretary Ernesto V. Perez said in his message.

As the primary signatories to the MOU, Secretary Perez was joined by COMELEC Commissioner-in-Charge of the CBFSC Aimee P. Ferolino, with COMELEC Chairman George Erwin Garcia and ARTA Undersecretary for Operations Gerald Divinagracia serving as witnesses.

“We are committed to whatever is the advocacy and the mandate of the Anti-Red Tape Authority, na actually ini-expand pa ang duty nila, mas pinapalawak pa. Sapagkat our people deserve expeditious processing of all documents and concerns not only in the COMELEC but in the entire government,” Chairman Garcia said as expression of support for the partnership.

Under the MOU, ARTA will be tasked with the improvement of the payment process through the establishment of an online payment option, in line with the Authority’s mandate of facilitating the ease of doing business.

ARTA shall also extend the needed advisory assistance, technical analysis and expert opinion on business process mapping to the COMELEC-CBFSC for the success of this partnership.

During the signing, key officials reiterated the importance of the whole-of-government approach in making government services faster and more efficient.

“With our MOU today, we hope to have further collaborations with ARTA in our services and procedures. ” she stated. Meanwhile, Commissioner Ferolino conveyed COMELEC’s willingness to strengthen cooperation with ARTA and possibly improve other aspects of CBSFC’s process flow.

Also present at the event are COMELEC Commissioner Rey E. Bulay, Commissioner Ernesto Ferdinand P. Maceda Jr., and Commissioner Nelson J. Celis.

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