Corruption and the new leadership

The elections was rather a sight to behold seeing how patient Filipinos truly are that even in the midst of the scorching heat they lingered on and persevered the long waits just to exercise their right to vote. But what is most telling between the past and recent exercise is not much about the touted automated process of voting but how important voting is to the ordinary Filipino in the process of representation.    

In contrast with the elections we have had in past, the recent one aptly demonstrates the transition of the right of suffrage from a mere perfunctory and civil duty to a bold statement of the issues that matter to the ordinary Filipinos – corruption.

At hindsight, the issues that were brought forth in the campaign by the four leading presidentiables (Aquino, Estrada, Villar and Teodoro) can be condensed in a nutshell by the political slogans they advocate. Aquino asserts Kung walang corrupt walang mahirap. Estrada thinks Kung may Erap, may ginhawa. Teodoro believes on his Galing at talino para sa mabilis na pag-ahon. For Villar, his vision is Tapusin ang kahirapan. While Estrada, Teodoro and Villar all offer leadership of economic relief, Aquino on the other hand believes that corruption is the root of the privation of many and that to rid the country thereof will also alleviate many from poverty.

I take therefore the overwhelming triumph of Aquino as a vote of confidence to his person and to the shared issues and aspiration that he and the Filipinos held. His victory indicative of the collective declaration of the Filipinos that kung walang corruption ay may ginhawa; that we have had enough of galing at talino in government who do nothing but malverse people’s money and that it is corruption ang siyang dapat tapusin.

Corruption is not only about betrayal of public trust. It is also an issue of those who are in the trade and industry. Writer and economist, Jacques Attali once asked, “Do we want to build a market economy or an economy dominated by the mafia?” The same can be asked of the Aquino administration if he will be able to get rid of the mafias (within next six years), that lurk in the different agencies and offices of government that have already become part of the system. I do not want to think that it is impossible. I would like to think that it is just so gargantuan a task for the new administration to seriously deal with knowing that a few powerful corporatocrats have been in control of our legislators and local officials for a very long time.  

These mafias or corporatocrats are firewalled by the legal system that they operate freely without fear of prosecution – they are the geniuses behind every rigged contract, the emissaries who feign as “lobbyists” to obtain at the very least a congressional franchise and at the very most influence public policy.

To lead by example is good but it can only do so far to weed out corruption entirely. The new administration should find time to reflect back and thresh the issues why corruption remained a problem in Cory’s time despite her being the epitome of an honest government servant. The leaders that followed unflinchingly vowed to wage the same war yet none of them ever won it.

Further, I think we sorely forget that dealing with corruption is to face the truth about the disparity between those who have and those who do not or about why the rich became richer and why the poor became even poorer. Hence, I believe that corruption does not always begin with stealing. It starts with a misplaced priority.

If we look at the many projects that have been undertaken by the government almost always the beneficiaries are those who have the resources to maximize their use. I would like to take as examples the new roads or highways being opened up. Roads are important but it is only important to those who have cars that pass through them. Thus, concrete infrastructure is always given priority than farm irrigation, mass shelter, schools and other socially benefiting projects hat is why we still have landless farmers, informal settlers, out of school youth, and sick children and elderly.

Finally, while it is too early to judge how the new administration is going to fight corruption but it is best for the public to know this early how prepared we really are with the battle. And if I may, Aquino should start looking for people who are as untainted as he is. For “Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit…Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” ~ King James Bible.

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