Our international label as corrupt nation

I have long suspected that this administration of Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is so mired upon layers and layers of graft and corruption that the undesirable practices of the late Pres. Ferdinand E. Marcos pale in comparison. The litany of corrupt cases the opposition (who else?) every now and then enumerates, some of them in unthinkable proportions, pushes me to this likely perception. Even then, the Filipino in me hopes that our international image be free from the kind of stigma the Thais themselves recently heaped upon their top officialdom. I have been praying that whatever these alleged wrongdoings in the Arroyo presidency are, they remain confined within our territorial boundaries.

For a time, I thought that indeed the president is a very lucky leader. Not only has she the support of congressmen, the majority of whom, in our system of government can put up an impenetrable wall of presidential defense, the chances of her alleged misdeeds spilling into foreign shores have been rather reduced to a minimum. For instance, the unsuccessful attempt of former Undersecretary Jocjoc Bolante, to run away from a possible criminal prosecution on account of monumental corruption, could have attracted such international media attention that the magnitude of his alleged misdeed could have shaken the bowels of the honest. But, fortune shone our president when Bolante's alleged capers apparently dodged the curiosity of foreign newsmen.

Recently however, the Millennium Challenge Corporation seemed to put an end to the luck of our president. No longer is the perceived corruption of this administration whispered by frightened individuals, or circulated in the Senate walls or carried in our national papers alone. The number of questionable transactions must have so multiplied that this international agency by a single stroke confirmed, to the whole world, the stink we have so long probably suffered.

From what we can gather, this agency is excluding the Philippines' access to available funds because of its deep and serious concerns on our corrupt government, or words to that effect. In so many words, it is saying that this Pres. Arroyo's administration is so corrupt that it cannot be trusted. It, perhaps, is certain that the funds it had provided our government with did not go wholy to the intended projects. Differently said, it must have realized that huge portions of what otherwise would have been beneficial projects lined the pockets of the corrupt. However it may be deduced, that's painful because this humiliating tag stains not only the integrity of the president but of every Filipino as well.

The absence of any serious denial by our leaders is even more frightening. They choose to ignore this aspersion. Our president and her minions are not heard contesting this ignominious label or at least disputing this despicable branding. It seems that by the deafening silence of our rulers, they have admitted the existence of insatiable greed among them. I have always believed that a person wronged by a baseless accusation usually sallies forward with rightful indignation. On the other hand, a suspect confronted with a smoking gun kind of evidence always evades the stare of an otherwise scandalized victim and bows his head in helpless surrender.

 Instead of meeting the libel head-on, the president skirts and spins a diversionary issue hoping that all of our people continue to believe this farce of a clean government or at least keep it in our shores. Her administration has announced a huge sum of about P300 billion package for some development purposes. Actually, in all respect, it is basic propaganda intended to demonstrate to our people that our government does not need the support of the Millennium Challenge Corporation or that no matter what it says, this government will push for national development.

I like to believe in this propaganda of the president in the same way that I hoped the corruption in this administration be kept a national secret. In addition, I am praying that the major part of this huge outlay be not consumed by the grafters who are the powers-that-be or linked to them.