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| ON THE OTHER HAND |
| Most Corrupt Country?
By Antonio C. Abaya Written March 13, 2007 For the Standard Today, March 15 issue The index of the Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy Ltd. or PERC is only of perceptions of corruption, not of corruption itself. It is not possible to measure corruption accurately, since neither corruptors nor corruptees leave any written records of their corrupt acts, nor will they admit to a polling organization that they have been engaged in a corrupt act.. But often, perception is everything. And President Arroyo will have to suffer the humiliation of being the head of state of the country that has just been adjudged the most corrupt in East Asia .. I have been following the ratings of PERC for the past 18 or 20 years. This is the first time that the Philippines has ranked the most corrupt among the (now) 13 countries and territories in PERC�s radar screen. During all or most of those 18 or 20 years, the Philippines ranked fourth most corrupt, with China , Indonesia , Vietnam and India taking turns among the top three. Last year, for the first time, the Philippines jumped to second most corrupt, next only to Indonesia . And now, we are rated THE most corrupt. And having a free press in the Philippines does not explain our top ranking in the corruption index. There is no free press in China and Vietnam , yet China was for several years the most corrupt, and Vietnam one of the three most corrupt, country in East Asia in PERC�s index. China dropped to fourth most corrupt, starting in the mid-1990s when it addressed the problem by shooting convicted corrupt officials in public executions. These ratings come from the corruption perceptions of expat business executives operating foreign companies in the subject countries,. This year, 1,476 of them were surveyed, of whom more than 100 are said to be based in the Philippines . On a scale of zero to ten, ten being the most corrupt and zero the least corrupt, the Philippines earned a rating of 9.40 points, followed by Indonesia and Thailand, (tied with 8.03); Vietnam (7.54); India (6.67); South Korea (6.30); China (6.29); Malaysia (6.25); Taiwan (6.23); Macau (6.11); Japan (2.10); Hong Kong (1.87); and Singapore (1.20). If you observe the numbers closely, Japan , Hong Kong and Singapore have qualitatively similar ratings. So do India , South Korea , China , Malaysia , Taiwan and Macao at one level; and Indonesia , Thailand and Vietnam at another, slightly higher level. The Philippines is all by itself at the stratospheric level of 9.40 points. Why the sudden jump of the Philippines from second last year (with 7.80 points) to first this year, and at such an unusually high rating (9.40)? What happened or did not happen in the Philippines since February 2006 to earn for it such a scandalous upgrade? PERC does not explain. I can only guess that this was a fallout from the caper of former Agriculture Under Secretary Jocelyn �Joc-Joc� Bolante, who was being investigated by the Senate for the P728 million fertilizer fund that was dispensed to local government units � including Makati City , which has no agriculture � just before the 2004 presidential elections. The insinuation is that these monies were used in aid of President Arroyo�s re-election. Like so many other senatorial and congressional investigations, nothing was resolved and no one was arrested or convicted of anything. Joc Joc added to the mystery by fleeing to the US in mid-2006, allegedly to seek political asylum, only to have his US visa cancelled by the US Embassy in Manila while he was en route from Seoul to Las Angeles His present whereabouts are also a mystery Is he still detained in a US federal prison near Chicago? Or has he been allowed to flee to parts unknown? Did the US Embassy cancel his visa in mid-flight so that it could detain him on US soil, to use in its on-off efforts to remove President Arroyo from power? Or did Malacanan lean on the US Embassy to cancel his visa so that Joc-Joc could be pressured to remain silent and out-of-sight regarding the fertilizer fund scam? I do not know. All I can say is that there is more than meets the eye here.. This would not be the first time in recent years that Malacanan and the US Embassy have had different perspectives, to put it mildly, on a major corruption issue. In April 2005, the outgoing US Ambassador, Francis Ricciardone, speaking before the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP), offered to help the Philippine government with documentary evidence in US hands in the prosecution of Maj. Gen. Carlos F. Garcia. Ambassador Ricciardone even suggested, rather undiplomatically, that Gen. Garcia be tried in a continuous trial for a speedy resolution of his case.. Clearly, the Americans wanted to see a major effort by the Arroyo government to curb corruption through the speedy prosecution of what � to them, as well as to many other observers, including this writer � was an open-and-shut case. President Arroyo has chosen to ignore their concern. For those who may have forgotten the details, let me refresh everyone�s memory regarding the Gen. Garcia case. In December 2003, two sons of Gen. Garcia were caught by US authorities in San Francisco International Airport trying to sneak in US $100,000 in cash, without the necessary Customs declaration. In April 2004, their mother, Clarita D. Garcia, perhaps trying to wiggle out of the mess and trying to recover the confiscated $100,000, signed a sworn statement before US authorities admitting that �I always declare the money when I bring it into the US . I declared the money in 1993, in 1995 when I had a medical operation. I declared $100,000 on Dec. 27, 2003 . I also declared $200,000 in January 2003�.� It was later revealed in media, after August 2004, that the Garcias own real estate in the US , including a $765,000 condo on 502 Park Avenue , a $750,000 apartment at 222 East 34th Street , both in New York City , and a house and lot in Westerville , Ohio , of undisclosed value. It was also revealed that there are at least eight luxury vehicles registered in their names at the Land Transportation Office, and that Gen. Garcia maintained 40 (yes, 40) bank accounts in several Philippine banks. All this from a monthly salary of P37,000 as deputy comptroller, then comptroller, of the Armed Forces of the Philippines . These and other sordid details are in my articles GMA and Gen. Garcia ( Oct. 28, 2004 ), Corruption and Taxes ( Feb. 02, 2005 ) and Plunder and Gen. Garcia ( March 22, 2005 ), all archived in my website www.tapatt.org. The first two articles were included as annexes in the complaint for plunder filed by my favorite lawyers, former Solicitor General Frank Chavez and Mario Ongkiko with the Ombudsman against Gen. Garcia on March 15, 2005 . It is now two years to the day since that case was filed with the Ombudsman, yet nothing has been done to accelerate the judicial process, as suggested by Amb. Ricciardone. In any judicially civilized country, this open-and-shut case would have been decided in a matter of days or weeks, not months or years. It can only mean that President Arroyo was/is not interested in pursuing this high-profile corruption case, just as she is not interested in getting to the bottom of the Joc Joc Bolante fertilizer scam or the Hello Garci electoral fraud case (perhaps because it looks like she IS at the bottom.). You want to hear more? Frank Chavez and his legal eagles also filed with the Ombudsman complaints of plunder against Lt. Gen. Jacinto Ligot and Lt. Col George A. Rabusa. Gen. Ligot was AFP comptroller just before Gen. Garcia, while Lt. Col. Rabusa was chief budget officer at the office of the AFP Deputy Chief-of-Staff from 1999 to 2002. In their complaint for plunder, Chavez and his lawyers alleged that Gen. Jacinto and his wife acquired property, both here and abroad, that cannot be explained by his P35,000 monthly salary as AFP comptroller. This unexplained wealth included a house and lot at 7102 Stanton Ave., Buena Park , California , which they acquired in 2002 for $183,868; a house and lot at 1240 S. Cabernet Circle, Anaheim, California, which they bought in 2003 for $504,000; and a unit (Unit 19-A) at the Lawton Tower of the Essensa Condominium, Fort Bonifacio, which was selling then at between P22 and P26 million. As for Lt. Col. Rabusa, Chavez and his team alleged in their complaint for plunder that Rabusa and his wife Debbie acquired property worth P62.2 million while he was chief budget officer at the office of the AFP Deputy Chief-of-Staff, from 1999 to 2002, including a house and lot at 13230 Ashington Pointe Drive, Orlando, Florida, which they bought in 2001 and sold in 2002.; and that he maintained 16 bank accounts, including four in US dollars. More sordid details are in my articles Plunder and Gen. Ligot ( April 19, 2005 ) and Plunder and Col. Rabusa ( April 26, 2005 ), also archived in www.tapatt.org. Yet President Arroyo has not done anything to expedite these three high-profile corruption cases against military officers, despite the preponderance of evidence of unexplained wealth. And the reason she has not done so has to do with her political ascent and survival. If these cases were pursued to their logical conclusions, the scandal would likely enmesh other, higher ranking officers and civilian officials (who are the likely beneficial owners of Gen. Garcia�s 40 bank accounts and/or Col. Rabusa�s 16) who had played leading roles in the military coup d�etat of January 2001 � erroneously touted as EDSA People Power 2 � that overthrew Joseph Estrada and elevated then Vice-President Gloria Arroyo to power. President Arroyo therefore has no one to blame but herself for the opprobrium she suffers now as the head-of-state of the most corrupt country in East Asia . ***** Reactions to [email protected]. Other articles in www.tapatt.org and in acabaya.blogspot.com OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Reactions to �Most Corrupt Country� Dear Mr. Abaya, Good day! Sad to say that the Philippines has been perceived to be the most corrupt country in Asia . For me this is true, judging from what i know about the activities of the agency and its mother agency where I work at present. For the past years, I am already greatly disappointed and frustrated dahil masyado na ang corruption at ito ay nakakasuka na. Sana hindi ko na lang nalalaman ang nangyayari, maybe I would not be that frustrated. To this I vow not to elect any of the administration's candidates, from national down to the local. I don't put the blame totally on GMA but she seems helpless with the people surrounding her and/or she gives her blessings to do corrupt activities so she can hold on to her position. I am also an avid reader of Mr. Emil Jurado and I feel sad that he seems to ignore the corruption going on in our country. All he needs is to open his eyes and not look the other way. I know he is an avid "protector" of GMA but I think he should strike a balance. I hope GMA will listen to unknown people who reports acts of corruption if she is really sincere in bringing progress to our country. She should not only rely on her "sipsip" and favorite people who feed her with only good information. Thank you for your time, more power and God bless! Victoria Paramio, (by email), March 16, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww This is another good one, Tony.. Keep 'em coming! Vera Gesite, (by email), March 16, 2007 www.alburbohol.net wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Mr. Abaya, Is there a way you can explain how "the most corrupt country" in East Asia is also an "idiot nation" with "idiot voters? Corruption is usually associated with government and its agencies and bureaus. However, when the corruption describes a whole country, there are only two ways I can understand it: 1) government represents the minority who are not idiots but nonetheless corrupt; a unique tragedy when that government administers the majority who are idiots; and 2) the government is headed by an idiot president assisted by an idiot Congress and an idiot Judiciary, and the population are forced to choose the least idiotic and least corrupt. Either way I look at it, I can't see why there should be elections at all this year. Rather, use the time to clean the house(s) and, maybe, just maybe, the "idiot voters" will be less idiotic. Rosalinda Olsen, (by email), Norway , March 16, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Perception is reality. You and I know, that every thing you do in the Philippines , from getting a driver's license, a building permit, or any services from the government or business deals, there is always what we call "grease money" and it is corruption in any other name. And that is not even considered in rating the Philippines the worst, but just the few you mentioned and I never knew a single one of them had been resolved by the Philippines judicial system, because that Garcia's case was discovered by the Americans. And the scope of corruptions are just so HUGE that it defy imagination on how they can get away from them. We had a case of Corruption I can cite as an example that also happen even in our own backyard. A case of the city of Toronto IT lease program that was doubled from original Price of $40 to 80 millions without the council approval and it involves only a $20 thousand bribe money which was very hard to pin by normal police investigations. But the inquiry which cost the taxpayers $20 millions resolved the mystery and the puzzle of the very seldom case and all legislative measure was now in place to make sure that such will not happen again. And the inqury report is worthy of a thriller of a tale of Corruptions. Just imagine if someday all the tales of corruptions in the Philippines, present and past are all put in the record the way Madame Justice Bellamy did in her report about that one single known case of corruption in Toronto city hall. V.A. Sanoy, (by email), Toronto , Ont. Canada , March 16, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Lord, have mercy! I was still reeling here with the Philippine. Churches' delegations' details (WA, 14 March, 2007 ) summed up with a title dubbing the Philippines with "culture of impunity," referring to the killings allegedly perpetrated by no less than the Phiippine.military, etc. And here's another age-old equation to the "only predominantly Christian country...!" Lord, have mercy upon us. Tony B. Go, (by email), March 16, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww President. Manuel L. Quezon once said "I'd rather see the country run like hell by Filipinos than run like heaven by Americans." Maybe he is now turning in his grave because the country is truly being run like hell by inept Filipinos with selfish interests and diabolical designs. Felipe Rommel Martinez, (by email), March 16, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww It's been said that evil happens when good men do nothing. Where are our good men and women? Do we need a Gandhi or a Martin to lead us out of this mess? Maybe you can lead us, Mr. Abaya. You're very brave! Keep up the good work! Lucita Luciani, (by email), Los Angeles, March 16, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Depressing, but it indicts all Filipinos, which is wrong. The most corrupt are the gatekeepers in government who use their position to enrich themselves. The other side of the coin are the businessmen and elite who do business with them. The average Filipino is not even on any side of the coin. The average Filipino suffers and struggles. They have been shut out. The rent-seeking elite, professional politician, and bureaucrat are a minority. However, they are a powerful minority. How do we solve this? Support social movements that promote moral renewal, i.e. Gawad Kalinga. Encourage and support initiatives that provide financial and social services to the poor that will uplift them. Support initiatives that make it easier to do business in the Philippines . One specific initiative is the Hyperwage Theory being espoused by the StreetStrategist, aka Thads Bentulan. Another is the Universal or Basic Income Guarantee movement. We need to redistribute economic opportunities...If the elite don't change and reform (or the working rich don't push hard enough the rent-seeking rich to reform), then change will have to come from the base of the pyramid. Hecky Villanueva, (by email), Tucson , Arizona , March 17, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Dear Tony: Having observed the Philippine scene for almost a lifetime now, I am not at all surprised that the Philippines has now earned the dubious distinction of being perceived as the most corrupt among East Asian countries. You have characterized the Philippines as an idiot nation primarily in the political sense. It is an idiot nation which, to the puzzlement of many, not only refuses to be revulsed by corrupt public officials, but actually idolizes those corrupt officials, whether of the elective or the appointive variety. The world has yet to see a few of these high-ranking elective or appointive officials get convicted and go to prison for engaging in corrupt acts while in office and accumulating so-called "unexplained wealth." This only goes to prove that the laws on the books against corrupt practices are without teeth, or that the judiciary itself is corrupt. Mariano Patalinjug, (by email), Yonkers , New York , March 17, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Balita pa ba ito? Sa looban dito sa amin, may nahuling nagsa shabu session. May nakuha ang mga pulis na mga paraphernalia. Isa lang ang nadala sa presinto. Pagdating sa presinto, tawaran portion na. Ang unang hinihingi ng mga pulis P40,000 para hindi sampahan ng kaso. Saan kukunin yon nung pamilya ng nahuli eh hampas lupa lang sila. Hirap na nga sa buhay nagsa shabu pa. Ayun, natauhan siguro ang pulis at alam na di makakapagbigay nang ganung halaga ang pamilya kaya bumaba hanggang P3,000. Pera din yon. Minsan, yung mga nagbi bingo dito sa may eskenita sa amin nabulabog. Pinagdadampot sila ng mga pulis. Illegal gambling daw. Yung limang nahuli pinagbayad ng P200 para walang kaso. Isang libo din yon, pang good time din sa beerhouse. Yun eh kung nagbabayad nga sila sa beerhouse. May pulis dito sa amin ang sideline naglalakad ng kung ano mang papeles. Kailangan mo ng lisensya? Sa tamang halaga, sya na ang bahala. Ang ilaw, tubig at cable jina jumper. Ang magsumbong, maaabala para tumestigo sa korte. Kaaway mo pa lahat. Yung nagtatrabaho sa munisipyo, sya na mag aasikaso kung ano man ang kailangan mo, pang kape na lang ang katapat tutal kapit bahay naman. Iba ang corruption na nagaganap na itaas. Iba din ang uri ng corruption na nangyayari dito sa amin sa ibaba. Sa amin barya barya lang. Sa taas, milyon ang pinag uusapan. Sabi ni Alex Magno, ang solusyon daw dito, bureaucratic reform. Ano daw? Bureaucratic reform? Baguhin mo man ang sistema ng pamamalakad ng pamahalaan pero hangga't hindi nagbabago ang mindset ng mga taong nasa gobyerno, hahanap at hahanap yan nang butas para makapag sideline. Sila sila din naman ang gagawa ng mga patakaran at guidelines. Matagal nang problema yang corruption na yan. Kahit ano pang batas ang ipasa nila, itaga mo sa bato, walang magbabago. Malalim na ang pagkakabaon sa kultura natin ang ugaling maka isa, makalusot, maka lamang, maka daya, maka parte, at kung anu ano pang maka. Di naman kataka taka kung maging most corrupt tayo sa Asia . Sa anggulo ng pagkamakabayan, halos wala tayo nito, nada, zero, bokya. Kung may pagmamalasakit man lang tayo sa bayan natin, magdadalawa o magsasampung isip muna tayo bago gumawa nang katiwalian. Kaso yung paggawa ng katiwalian parang automatic na yon. Sa amin na lang, yung mga pipitsuging pulis, suma sideline eh ano pa kaya kaming mga ordinaryong tao lang. Para bang nagkakaroon ng dahilan na gumawa ng kalokohan ang mga tao kasi yung mga awtoridad mismo, gawain nila ito. Pero kung yung mga nasa gobyerno meron man lang kahit katiting na pagmamalasakit sa bayan, magkakaroon sila ng kahit katiting na kahihiyan para gumawa ng kabulastugan. Huwag sasabihin ni Gloria na perception lamang ito. Corruption is a reality, tanggapin nya iyon. Kaya ang solusyon ko sa corruption, GOOD CITIZENSHIP. Mga Pilipino pa rin ang mga nasa gobyerno. Kung mga good citizens sila, mababawasan at hindi magiging garapalan ang corruption. Kung tayong mga mamamayan namam ay magiging good citizens, hindi na natin tatangkilikin yung mga fixers na yan. Magtitiyaga tayong pumila. Kung mga good citizens tayo, hindi tayo magbibigay at tatanggap ng suhol. Kung mga good citizens tayo, hindi lang yung mga kamag anak natin ang bibigyan ng kontrata sa gobyerno. Kung mga good citizens tayo, hindi tayo magiging most corrupt nation in Asia . Tayo ang number one kasi nananaig sa kultura natin ang bad citizenship. Our country is in a mess because most of our leaders are bad citizens. Karamihan sa kanila hindi magandang example and they themselves help perpetuate the culture of corruption. If majority of our people are good citizens, chances are, we will have leaders who are good citizens. Then we won't be where we are right now. GOOD CITIZENSHIP is the answer. In his Inquirer column, Jose Ma. Montelibano called this rating from PERC a national shame. From his point of view, it is a national shame. But I doubt if there is a collective feeling of national shame. The people in our neighborhood couldn't care less what this news is all about. The so called intellegentsia, do feel a lot of shame about this report. The people in Malacanang must also be shameful. But on a national scale, there is none. Why? Because we are bad citizens. Bad citizens won't be affected by such reports. For most of us, the report is just "so what?'. At the end of his column, Mr. Montelibanno said, "This is the moment for Filipinos to realize that it is truly a change in character, from corruption to honesty, from falsehood to sincerity, from compromise to integrity, that is the ONLY way for a nation to cast away its national shame and regain national honor -- and attain progress as well. There is a hint of light in our dark tunnel with more and more Filipinos becoming more and more intolerant of corruption in their lives. Let us seize the moment and begin our journey towards the sun." I agree. So what's next? Is it just a paragraph to end a column or are we going to take concrete steps into that direction? Last December at the anti Cha cha rally, the Church said we need character change. Has the Church taken a concrete step into that direction? We all say we need to change our character. But has anyone, any group really taken this issue seriously? GOOD CITIZENSHIP is part of the solution but we have to work on it, not just lip service. Pinoy, [email protected], March 17, 2007 MY REPLY. Good citizenship also means having the courage of your convictions by attaching your full and real name to your opinions. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Sir, So many were charged with Graft and Corruption, but its seems that we haven�t heard any hard punishment that was given to those who were found guilty. More so, the Philippines investigation and litigation process takes almost a lifetime to finish. I hope that I will live to see a spiritual revival that will spell the rebound of our Government�s image in terms of corruption. Vonne Villanueva, (by email), March 17, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Symptomatic of the scale of corruption that is forthcoming are the current political candidates for national positions that sought and were granted the blessings of an ex president accused of the capital offense of plunder. Is Estrada really, really charged? or is this prolonged drama another means of sucking some of these pluindered funds by people who expect to be in a position to influence the final result of the Estrada case? Or looking at it another way, is Estrada bribing by funding the candidates he thinks will be able to influence his case for plunder? (I fully agree with China 's handling of official corruption. Immediately after conviction, the accused is executed, thus precluding unnecessary appeals.) I am made to believe that these candidates themselves do not feel that they are qualified to stand before the people on their own cognizance, qualifications and merits so much so that they have to resort to attaching themselves to names popular to the "bakya" electorate, no matter what these names stand for - movie stardom, gambling, even womanizing as long as these names are at the tip of the tongues of the bakyang masa. These candidates are like drowning men, grabbing at whatever to survive political life.. What values can you expect from these candidates? When I was in the intermediate school, I remember having a subject in Civics. I strongly believe that this subject be revived and reinforced in its treatment of the political processes. It should be a whole semester of teaching, if only to inculcate in the minds of our future leaders what it is to love our country. (Civics remains a part of the curriculum in grade and high schools, but children do not learn their values from school, family or church. They learn their values from media, especially movies and TV. So these primary influences have to be reformed. ACA) Edmundo Ledesma, (by email), March 17, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww (Unedited) I think marami pang cases yan, aside from what you mentioned. What really pisses me off is that GMA and his politics offered radical changes by new kind of governing. They even used "anti-erap" slogans as their banner in toppling the past administration. SADLY, where are we now? The country is still divided, many people remained in poverty, scams (garci and bolante) little is offered to businessmen, morons in govt positions like the two gonzaleses, a scandalous congress with unbelievable members (pichay, jaraulo, villafuerte, antonino, nograles, marcoleta, susano and other liars) and so on. What I mentioned were also present during the FVR and erap's time. But the same system of padrino, palakasan, kurakot is still VERY VERY PREVALENT. Pikon talaga ako sa mga taong that would love to criticize others, yun pala ganun din ang mga walanghiya. GMA kept on blaming the opposition for every negative perceptions about her government. In the first place, sino ba ang nakaupo? Its all about having command responsibility. Nothing beats good governance. No matter what garbage your enemies will throw at you, but if you have achievements, balewala ang kalaban. As to now, the opposition is more believable. However, I dont like them also. Mike Delgado, (by email), March 17, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony: Our spy in Malacanang reports that GMA was furious when the PERC gave the Philippines a No. 1 Rating in Corruption! GMA felt it should only have been the First Family: bakit daw sumali na naman lahat? Walang nangyari sa AFP corruption. Walang nangyari sa MacaPidal Ave. , Jose Pidal at Figaro Investments. Wala ring nangyari sa mga impeachments, "Hello Garci" at marami pang ibang anomalia gaya ng road users tax. At wala ring mangyayari sa extra-judicial killings at sa mangyayaring dayaan sa May 2007. Dahil nga sa tayo na nga ang MOST CORRUPT sa Asia ! Boom, Corrupt, Corrupt - mananalo ang Kadiri, Team Unity! The only solution is really: OFF WITH THEIR HEADS! Hopefully, before Easter! Tito Osias, (by email), March 17, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi, Tony - I have another interpretation of the article calling the Philippines the most corrupt country in Asia . I take the article with a large grain of salt because, of all the countries mentioned, the Philippines has the freest press and everything is in English for all to read. All the best to you, Ken Wright, (by email), Ayala Alabang, March 17, 2007 MY REPLY. There is no free press in China or Vietnam , Ken, but China was judged the most corrupt country in East Asia for several years by PERC, until China started executing convicted corrupt officials in public executions, in the mid 1990s. China dropped to fourth most corrupt. Vietnam has been rated the second or third most corrupt for several years now, even without a free press. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, Am forwarding your thought-provoking article to other FilAms in Oregon . Your perception of the Philippine presidency as one deeply in the shadow of corrupt generals who enjoy being above the law is troubling. With the military in the Phils. touted as perpetrating extra-judicial killings of religious workers, media people, labor leaders, and the kidnapping and disappearing of university students, one wonders whether human rights and even democracy in the Philippines has become a sham by figures in power . By the way, PERC may be an efficient index of corruption but it sorely needs to up its info of geography. The Philippines is in Southeast Asia, not East Asia . East Asia comprises Japan , the Chinas (Mainland and Taiwan ) , the Koreas (North and South) , and territories (Hong Kong and Macao ). Neither is India part of East Asia; India is part of South Asia . Thank you and regards, Angie Collas-Dean, (by email), Eugene , Oregon , March 17, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Of course, this is nothing new. We ourselves believe that the Philippines is indeed the most corrupt! We even know that government will not do anything about it. We also know that even the private.. including mass media, is as corrupt as the public sector... The question is what are we going to do about it. Serafin Dudeo, (by email), March 18, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hi Tony, I was very elated that you write about government corruption in our country. It's all over the government places, from the municipalities, city halls, capitol buildings, BIR, MVO, police, you name it and they exist. Even a lowly municipal clerk will ask for "coffee money" to have your papers signed. What a system we have. It is very unfortunate that Ms Macapagal is the head of this country. For me, she can start reducing it at her highest level of government. It will be a slow and painful process though. But she has to do it. She should do it by example. Those high profile cases like, the Estrada's, the Garcia's and others have to be pursued in earnest. But look at those cases, it's a joke to our system and to our country. It is as if she is part of it because she is not even pushing hard to have a verdict or if their was a verdict (like the Garcia's) it's only a slap in the wrist. What a joke indeed. Prosecute those people to the utmost and it will send a chilling message down the line to the municipalities and barangays that she mean business. If not, it will be business as usual to these corruptors in the government. We can be assured that we can hold unto that most coveted title "Most Corrupt Counrty" for quite some time. Best regards, Agustin Bacalso, (by email), March 19, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Hello Mr Abaya, In your assessment on the recent survey regarding the most corrupt country in Asia , yes it is a mere perception but as you pointed perception is much stronger than reality itself. Whose to blame then? The entire gov't is a fault here, from top to bottom, from admin to opposition. Now, I'm generalizing here but this will happen until big fishes are fried. I been waiting for that to happen and sad to say there is no significant name ever convicted of corruption in our country. While South Korea has convicted two ex-presidents, we have nothing to show. This is where the "legal eagles" come in. The legal community is also at blame. Why? There is also a perception that the legal system in our country works for the corrupt and powerful (read high ranking government officials, generals and the millionaires). TRO's and injuctions can be easily acquired if you have "abogadong de kampanilya". All lawyers in different sizes and shapes allow the accused to look for any loopholes and technicalities to avoid conviction. The shocking part is that the judges (who are also lawyers) are swayed to these legal manuevers. This why cases drag on for several years. How can you explain the long-drawn out Erap trial despite the strong evidences againts him? How do you explain the acquital of Imelda Marcos by the Supreme Court? Imagine the SC reversing itself. My point is, the reform should not come from the government alone but more so in the judiciary and the legal community. There are maverick lawyers like Frank Chavez who are in the forefront of prosecuting corrupt officials. But there are more enterprising lawyers like Estelito Mendoza who find the slightest technicality on any evidence just to defend their client, no matter how guilty they are. Thank you and Mabuhay kayo!!! Marvin Valido, (by email), March 27, 2007 wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Tony, My complaint is not in any way connected to your today's issue dtd. 03-17-2007 "Most Corrupt Country?" apparently referring to our "benighted" country, the Philippines as prominently known worldwide. Facts: Second week of December 2006, I sent a big brown envelop addressed to my sister Mrs. Dalisay Moreno-Tumpalan in Aliaga, Nueva Ecija, my own hometown. I e-mailed her and phoned her twice to find out if said envelop had been received by her and she said NO. I wonder why the Philippine Postal Services miserably failed to deliver the said mail. Probably, the Philippine Postal Services needs to explain why there's such a failure. To my mind, this needs to be explained. Paging the Philippine Postal Services. Mike M. Moreno, (by email), Richmond , BC , Canada , April 01, 2007 MY REPLY. Your complaint IS connected to the national corruption we are talking about. Your brown envelope was intercepted by corrupt postal employees who were looking for cash or checks enclosed in it. Checks are usually cashed, with the help of corrupt bank employees, in a branch of Bank of PI/Deutsche Bank in Carmen, Rosales, Pangasinan. This was discussed in my article Post Office Thievery, Dec. 07, 2006, and the many reactions to that article. wwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww Twenty-One Years of Squandered Opportunities President Ferdinand Marcos was finally kicked out of Malaca�ang on February 25, 1986 . After 21 years the members of his family have been successful in wielding their residual political and financial power to return into the political arena and avoid any punishment. They have denied any wrongdoing and remained unrepentant. As reported by Time magazine, the late dictator stole US$10 billion in a period of 20 years. His wife, Imelda, disregarded the pleading cries of the workers who were eventually buried alive during the 77-day construction of the Manila Film Center . These two were among their crimes against the Filipino people. After the February 1986 EDSA Revolution we expected a reformed society and a prosperous Filipino nation. After 21 years we have remained a suffering nation because we squandered many opportunities to lift our society from the social, political, and economic mess left by the conjugal dictatorship of Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos. If there were no meaningful reforms in the past 21 years, it was because there was no collective change in our hearts and minds as a nation. Greed for wealth and material resources, unbridled lust for power, scramble for recognition and a place in history, graft and corruption, lack of nationalism, abuse of natural resources and the environment, and plain apathy are the same ills of society that have been ailing our nation for years. After ousting Marcos, we badly needed a morally strong leader who could inspire and unite us to move as a team in rebuilding our economy and restoring our shattered image. We needed a trusted leader in whom we would have complete faith and confidence. Unfortunately, former Presidents Corazon Aquino, Fidel Ramos, and Joseph Estrada all failed to provide us that kind of strong leadership. President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has not done any better. They all failed because they did not directly address our main problem which was, and still is, moral bankruptcy. Within 21 years the biggest blunder made by a Philippine president was the release from prison of Jose Maria Sison and his comrades by former President Corazon Aquino. By a single stroke of the pen, the enemies of the state were set free, without any condition that they would stop fighting and overthrowing the government, and without any covenant that they would abandon the Marxist ideology. If there were coup attempts during her presidency, it was mainly because many AFP officers and men believed that President Aquino loved the communists more than her very own government soldiers. (This does not mean that the coup attempts were justified.) Until this day, she has not done any effort to rectify her blunder or shown any remorse. In 1985, just before the presidential snap elections, she was labeled a communist by President Marcos. She vehemently denied it but when she became the president herself her actions showed that her heart was for the communists. After the breakup of the USSR in the early 1990s, the CPP-NPA-NDF members became orphaned ideologues. Marxism did not work and will never work. They should have been wiped out long time ago, consequently ushering a 21-year period of peace, progress and prosperity. They have remained strong because some of our political leaders coddle them for their political gain, safety, and other personal reasons; and, because our national and local government officials altogether failed to provide good governance that would have given the communists no more reason to exist. If it were true that some of the funds allotted to our legislators were channeled to the communist insurgents, then the government was their financier, more likely their main source of funds. We all know that giving aid and comfort to the enemy is treason but our political leaders are simply playing deaf, dumb, and blind by not investigating this very serious matter. In addition, they refuse to see that we will never prosper as a nation with two de facto governments, one being plagued with many greedy and corrupt government officials, and the other living on extorted funds from the hapless, helpless, and terrorized citizens. Alas, it seems only in the Philippines where the communists, who are criminals, have more rights and privileges than the ordinary citizens, where their lives are more valuable than the lives of soldiers and policemen. Some are now in congress and in the government. If we do not watch out, one day we will wake up with a communist Philippine president. In fact, the alliance between some AFP officers and the communists was almost consummated in February 2006 when the communists were reported to join some AFP officers and men in overthrowing President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Her timely declaration of a state of emergency aborted the attempt. The bulk of our present miseries and sufferings based on loss of lives, resources, and opportunities was caused directly or indirectly by the CCP-NPA-NDF, Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos, Corazon Aquino, and Joseph Estrada. But we, too, should take part of the blame because we never learned to run after and justly punish them, except for Estrada who is detained.. Looking at our present and future top leaders, senators, and congressmen, it appears that there is no one who has the full conviction and the courage to directly confront the communist insurgency problem. It seems that the AFP is alone in the fight against it when in fact it should be the fight of every politician, every Filipino. . But unless we address the main problem of moral bankruptcy, there is no hope to solve our other problems. It will take a miracle to solve moral bankruptcy. And the miracle we need is for us to change from within and become true Christians because a true Christian does not kill, steal, cheat, or lie. A true Christian cannot be a communist because the communists are godless. The beauty of Christianity is we have a forgiving God. Despite the fact that in His eyes we are all sinners--criminals, killers, terrorists, liars, cheaters, robbers, adulterers, and unbelievers--we have the opportunity to become His children. All we have to do is accept that we are sinners, repent, ask for forgiveness, believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to save us from our sins, believe that only God can make us righteous and not through our own efforts, and follow Christ�s teachings. We squandered 21 years but it is not too late to find lasting peace and progress by following Jesus Christ. Lt. Col. Hector Tarrazona (ret), (by email), March 17, 2007 OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO |