EDITORIAL - Corruption does not pay

We thought we’d never snag a big fish. We thought our laws on corruption were a joke. And even when economic plunder was made a capital offense 10 years ago, we sighed about the toothlessness of our laws. After all, who ever paid for the abuses of the Marcos regime, when national coffers were bled dry? If there is one thing the conjugal dictatorship taught Filipinos, it is that if you’re going to steal, you better steal big so you can get away with it – or at least hire the best lawyers to delay the cases against you until you die.

In case you haven’t noticed, however, corruption cases are finally starting to move. We’re not referring to the cases filed against deposed President Joseph Estrada, which may take years to resolve. But a few months ago, a former commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue was convicted of corruption for a tax deal. And last Friday, a former cashier of the BIR became the first person to be convicted of plunder.

Dominga Manalili was sentenced to two life terms by the Quezon City Regional Trial Court. Judge Diosdado Peralta found that Manalili had opened two accounts with the LandBank on April 17 and Nov. 5, 1996. Manalili and several accomplices, all of them BIR employees, deposited in the accounts a total of P260 million in withholding taxes paid to the BIR. She later withdrew the money. By the time the fund diversion was disco-vered, the two accounts had been depleted. Manalili has been ordered by the court to return the P260 million plus all profits earned from the money.

It’s little wonder that the biggest corruption cases involve the government’s main revenue-generating arm. Mention corruption and the first agencies that come to mind are the BIR and the Bureau of Customs. For smaller amounts in grease money, there are the Land Transportation Office and the revenue-collecting agencies of local government units. For kickbacks and under-the-table deals, however, practically every government office from Malacañang down to the smallest division is suspect. In this country, public office is regarded not as an opportunity for public service but a sure path to wealth. Why else do politicians throw away millions of pesos in campaign money to win positions where the pay won’t even cover their children’s school allowances?

Corruption has thrived because public servants believe they can get away with it. Despite efforts to minimize opportunities for graft, the corrupt always find a way to go around new rules. When corruption has become so deep-rooted, the best deterrent is to arrest, convict and punish offenders. The conviction of Dominga Manalili sends a strong warning that corruption does not pay. It’s a warning long awaited in this country.