Not all heroes make headlines

On 23 June was the World Whistleblowers Day. Let’s make some noise! Why? Whistleblowers are Heroes.

Can you name a whistleblower? Most whistleblowers never make the news.

A whistleblower is not only someone who reveals a huge corruption scandal or financial fraud. They can be a nurse, a factory worker, a journalist or a civil servant. They report wrongdoing in the course of their work or dealings with an organization. Whatever the scale.

The whistleblowers next door

Whistleblowers are women and men, young and old, people with disabilities, workers in formal and informal employment that report wrongdoing.

The damage extends beyond individual cases. When people see whistleblowers punished rather than protected, they become less likely to report wrongdoing themselves. The chilling effect is real.

What needs to change?

Not everyone is protected to begin with. Informal workers, contractors and those involved in cross-border cases often fall outside existing frameworks. In many countries, private sector protections remain weaker than those covering public servants.

The challenge in 2026 is increasingly one of enforcement, not legislation. Governments must ensure that reporting mechanisms function in practice, that investigations are actually carried out and that those who come forward are not left to face the consequences alone.

There is also a human cost. Legal proceedings can drag on for years. Whistleblowers may lose their jobs and professional networks, face social isolation and serious health issues. Those burdens fall hardest on people with fewer resources to challenge retaliation.

What can we do?

For instance, a teacher in Rwanda and a police officer in Italy did not set out to be whistleblowers. They saw something wrong and said so. If we want to support people like them, here is where to start.

•Know your rights. Find out what whistleblower protections exist in your country before you need them.

•Spread the word. Forward this newsletter to someone who may find it useful.

•Shift the culture. If you are in a position to influence how your workplace, school or institution responds to people who speak up, use it. Speaking up should be rewarded, not punished.

On 23 June, World Whistleblowers Day, help us make some noise. Follow us and help amplify the voices of those who speak up. The louder we are together, the harder it is to silence them.

When no one speaks up, we all pay the price.

In the Philippines, some years ago, we had a dialogue with the Chairman and the Commissioners of the Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) to discuss areas where cooperation with the private sector makes sense in achieving the ‘level playing field’, we all agreed that ‘level playing field’ involves besides ‘fair competition’ anti-corruption, a fair taxation regime, data privacy protection and cyber security. It became obvious that compliance officers / security managers will play an increasingly important role in business and government as we move forward.

We also raised and discussed the need to encourage whistleblowers to move forward and expose fraud, tax evasion, data breaches and other misdeeds. However, without whistleblower protection it is understandable that these potential heroes will not step forward. While we have encouraged Congress for many years to pass ‘whistleblower protection legislation’ – I fear without success – the group agreed, however, that it is absolutely necessary that whistleblowers will be given protection from retaliation.

In conclusion, allow me to repeat: Let’s make some noise. Whistleblowers are Heroes!

I look forward to your responses; please contact me at [email protected]

[email protected]