EDITORIAL - Slowest prosecution in the world

Within three years she wants the nation to be on a sure path to victory in the battle against corruption, President Arroyo said the other day. She might have to amend her timeframe, given the nation’s track record. An anti-corruption expert from Hong Kong said the Philippines holds the world record in the longest period for prosecuting corruption cases.

Tony Kwok, former head of Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption, said the other day that 90 percent of graft cases in the former British colony are resolved within a year. The average period for resolving a case in the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court, on the other hand, is seven years, according to Kwok, who has been tapped as a consultant on the anti-corruption campaign by the Philippine government.

The pace is not speeded up even for sensational cases. The most glaring example is the trial of deposed President Joseph Estrada for plunder. This is supposed to be a showcase of the nation’s resolve to stamp out corruption. Filipinos thought the trial would resemble the one in South Korea, where two former presidents who once wielded dictatorial powers were detained without bail, then convicted of treason, mutiny and corruption. Chun Doo-hwan was sentenced to death while Roh Tae-woo was ordered to serve over 22 years in prison. Chun was also fined $270 million and Roh $350 million – the estimated amounts of wealth they had amassed illegally. Both men were subsequently pardoned and freed.

The Philippines, however, is no Korea. Estrada’s plunder trial is on its fifth year, with no immediate resolution in sight. His son and co-accused has since won a seat in the Senate. Neither is the Philippines a Hong Kong, home to one of the world’s most professional bureaucracies. It wasn’t always so in Hong Kong, Kwok has pointed out as he encourages anti-corruption reforms in this country.

Among the most pressing areas of reform is the administration of justice. Members of the judiciary point out that courts are overwhelmed, with too few judges and justices handling thousands of cases. This problem is not insurmountable. Deep-seated problems in the judiciary, such as corruption, will take much longer to eradicate. In the meantime, there are small steps that can be taken immediately to improve the administration of justice and boost the anti-corruption campaign.