Dominican Republic whistleblowers cannot be persecuted, official warns

Santo Domingo.- Government Ethics Commission director MarinoVinicio Castillo on Wednesday lauded the work by the ethics committees of thevarious agencies, and warned that whistleblowers cannot be persecuted.

He said thecommittees observe, prevent and help make things function ethically, but notedthat if a member complains to a superior who fails to correct what’s wrong,they should then go to his office, which he affirms will investigate the case andprovide follow up.

"No member of an ethics committee with the courageto reveal any irregularity in an agency can be persecuted," Castillo saidand called for civil servants to work correctly and confront those who don’twant a serious and effective government sector.

"Many sectors seek to lower the morale, to achieve asort of widespread pessimism in government administration, to give theimpression that nothing can be done, ’I’m getting out of here’, ‘this is lost’, this isn’t thereality," the official said, adding that there are many hard-working, serious,responsible and transparent people in government.