Losing friends

Why did they push him to run, President Duterte wanted to know, and then engage in corruption after he recruited them to his government?

Duterte was referring to his old friends and loyal supporters, some of whom he has fired less than two years into his administration amid reports linking them to corruption.

In an expletive-laden speech – common for him, but uncharacteristic when he describes his friends – Duterte said it would be shameful to identify the crooks that he, much to his regret, had appointed.

But of course the public can guess who he might be referring to, since there are only two key descriptions: they’re his old friends (or recommended by old friends) and they’ve been fired or forced to resign from their posts.

There are a few more who have gained notoriety in such a short period, and Duterte’s head would have to be buried in the sand not to hear about the abuses.

In our culture, the word “ingrate” is spat out. Friendship and loyalty are prized. I’ve heard people scoff that Duterte is one for whom such precious ties are not binding. For the majority who are outside his blessed circle, however, this is considered a virtue.

The President may be hanging his head in shame over his misjudgment of character, but people are hoping he’ll sustain his purge of those who have abused his trust.

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Duterte might find some comfort in the thought that he is not alone in his predicament. Some years ago, another president told STAR editors that it’s lonely at the top, that you lose all your friends.

That was Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, now fully recovered from whatever put her in a neck brace and a wheelchair when she was being held without bail for plunder. Congresswoman GMA is gaining friends again as some of her loyalists whisper that they will soon be returning to power.

GMA had to let go of her trusted aide and political mentor Hernando Perez following his indictment in a $2-million extortion case and failure to declare in his official asset statement $1.7 million in bank deposits. The Sandiganbayan dismissed the charges, citing the “inordinate delay” in filing the case in court – seven years since the alleged extortion was committed shortly after GMA assumed power in 2001. The Supreme Court affirmed the dismissal in 2014.

Duterte, in less than two years in power, has fired more old friends and long-time supporters than GMA. And he keeps warning that he won’t hesitate to fire more if they are linked to corruption.

His only concession to those he has fired, it seems, is that they are spared from criminal indictment for corruption. Perhaps Duterte thinks the public shaming is enough. Or perhaps it’s too much trouble to build a case against the corrupt and pursue the charges in court, where they might even be cleared eventually for the “inordinate delay” in filing the cases.

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Why, Duterte lamented, did his friends push him to run and ask for appointments to his government after he won, only to abuse his confidence?

Why, indeed? Since he has been in public service for most of his entire adult life, it sounded like a naïve question. Or maybe he was just letting off steam.

Of course there are people in this country who see public office – especially a post in the president’s official family – not as a public trust but as a sure path to fortune. The public exposure can lead to a political career and the foundations of a dynasty, with all the power, perks and wealth that go with it.

In every presidency since the single-term limit was imposed (except in the case of Joseph Estrada), we heard about active efforts to persuade the incumbent to find a way of staying longer in power. The pressure came from relatives and cronies.

With the modest pay and all the problems in our country, public service calls for personal sacrifices. Duterte, at the start of his term, sighed that he was having trouble recruiting persons of known competence because of the uncompetitive compensation in government.

So why are people ready to kill, literally, to win or hold on to government posts? For sure it’s not just because they want it on their resume.

Some new appointees get too greedy and prefer to make hay while the sun shines. After all, six years can be over in the blink of an eye. Others prefer to perform well and shine first in their posts for name recall in pursuit of political plans. The corruption can come later, when the prospective candidate realizes how much it will cost to seek elective office in this country.

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With the midterm elections approaching, President Duterte – if he is serious about his war on corruption – may have to keep a close eye on his friends and supporters who need to raise campaign funds.

Campaign finance is among the roots of corruption in this country. The need to beef up war chests has doomed many public commitments against graft. The corruption continues once the candidate wins and is in a position to repay those who invested in him.

The current disastrous state of the Metro Rail Transit 3 can be blamed partly on political fund raising. Leila de Lima is detained without bail on accusations (strongly denied) that she accepted contributions for her Senate bid from drug traffickers at the national penitentiary when she was justice secretary and the corrections system was under her supervision.

Duterte himself is accused of accepting contributions (also hotly denied) for his presidential bid from drug suspect Peter Lim and his brother.

Candidates even in the barangay elections turn to drug dealing – with all the corruption it engenders – to raise campaign funds.

With the midterm elections approaching, Duterte may have to dump more of his friends and loyal supporters. It would be a most welcome purge.