It is a well known historical fact that before the Marcos martial law dictatorship, the Philippines was the second wealthiest country in Asia next only to Japan. Today, we have fallen behind nations like South Korea, Taiwan and China and even Southeast Asian neighbors like Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand.
We are a naturally rich country in resources. Our people are among the most competent, as evidenced by the high demand for Filipino skilled workers and professionals in the Middle East, United States, Japan, Australia, Canada and other advanced nations.
Where did it all go wrong? The main reason is that we are now one of the most corrupt societies in this part of the world. I am not saying that corruption is a uniquely Filipino trait as suggested by some.
Corruption has existed for as long as governance itself. In ancient civilizations such as Egypt, Greece and Rome, there are documented instances of corrupt practices. In medieval Europe, corruption was rampant in both religious and secular institutions. The Catholic Church has been accused of corruption as far back as the medieval period.
During the colonial period, imperial powers institutionalized corrupt systems to extract resources from colonies. Corruption flourished in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period. There was a time, however, when corruption was not as rampant and systemic as it is today in the Philippines. However, as recent as during the administration of president Noynoy Aquino, we have shown that we could be successful in minimizing corruption. One example is that the Department of Public Works and Highways under secretary Babes Singson was much less corrupt than it is today. President Aquino waged a campaign against the abuse of “pork barrel funds” and was even able to put in jail several sitting senators.
The following administration, however, saw the reemergence of widespread and systemic corruption.
Today, if President BBM is sincere, we can only laud his attempt to cleanse the DPWH, starting with the corruption in the flood control projects. However, no matter how successful this attempt to minimize corruption, it will keep recurring for as long as the root causes are not addressed.
The persistence of graft and corruption comes from a combination of systemic and institutional factors which are the root causes.
• Weak institutions. In a nation where the rule of law is fragile, judicial systems are easily compromised and oversight mechanisms are ineffective, corruption flourishes. Officials are more likely to abuse power when there are no meaningful consequences. In the Philippines, it is known that the judiciary is rife with corruption. Judicial trials take years before their final judgements, and it is a financial burden so only the rich can afford to go to trial. Another weakness is that the rich and the powerful can find ways to eventually stay out of jail, like the senators who were put in jail during PNoy’s term.
• Lack of transparency and accountability. When government actions and financial dealings are hidden from public view, it becomes easier for officials to divert resources and make decisions that benefit themselves or their allies. The lack of transparency and accountability in the budget process has led to the syndicate of contractors, lawmakers and DPWH district engineers to successfully divert billions of pesos from legitimate projects into the pockets of the members of this syndicate. It took an exposé by President BBM to focus public attention on these anomalies. Another example is the refusal of Senate members to agree to an impeachment trial in spite of the need for accountability for the actions of Vice President Sara Duterte.
• Concentration of power. In systems where power is centralized and unchecked, people in leadership positions often operate without fear of accountability, leading to the abuse of authority. In the Philippines, political and economic power is centralized in family dynasties. There are provinces and cities where a single family controls almost all political positions and the existence of a political opposition is almost negligible. In fact, the real political organizations in this country are not political parties but families.
• Cultural acceptance. There are societies like the Philippines where corruption is viewed as a normal part of doing business or navigating bureaucracy. Social norms that tolerate bribery or nepotism make reform more difficult. In fact, politicians who have been identified with corruption still manage to get reelected and those that amass fortunes become socially acceptable, even among the so-called elite society.
• Political patronage. Corruption thrives in systems where loyalty is rewarded over merit and public resources are used to maintain political support rather than to serve the common good.
There must be effective strategies to combat the root causes if we want to minimize graft and corruption. The government is not the proper institution to address these root causes. The only institutions that have a chance to combat these root causes are the educational system or schools, the Catholic Church and its affiliated organizations, civil society and the media.
Hopefully, we can witness a national dialogue among these sectors on how they can address the root causes of graft and corruption in the country.
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Email: elfrencruz@gmail.com