EDITORIAL - Deeply entrenched

Manuel Dayrit has quit as secretary of health, and the public is wondering if he will also be making allegations soon about anomalies in his department that prompted him to leave. The resignation comes on the heels of the departure from government of two other officials, Haydee Yorac and Victor Corpus, who are reportedly saying that certain improprieties in their agencies compelled them to quit. And the public will wonder if Dayrit also has a story to tell.

The government has dismissed the allegations of impropriety and emphasized that the campaign against corruption is on track. President Arroyo, in an out-of-town sortie, reminded public officials to stop lavish spending and said her administration is doing all it can to fight corruption.

In recent months the nation has in fact seen progress in the anti-corruption campaign. Much of the progress can be attributed to the Office of the Ombudsman, which has suspended or dismissed public officials for unexplained wealth and indicted ranking military officers for the capital offense of plunder. Several agencies, among them the Land Transportation Office, have also revised systems and procedures to reduce opportunities for graft.

Yet much remains to be done. Corruption is so deeply entrenched in Philippine culture that the country consistently ranks low in all international surveys on transparency. The problem has often been cited as a disincentive to investments. Worries over corruption also dampen enthusiasm of the country’s foreign aid donors to increase levels of development assistance. Two years ago, junior military officers claimed they were staging a mutiny because of massive corruption in the Armed Forces. At least their grievances are being addressed, but reforms in the military still have a long way to go.

Just stopping corruption that stems from jueteng operations is a colossal task. All three branches of government have not been spared from corruption scandals. The challenge is great, but it is not impossible to eradicate corruption. If national leaders want to make a difference in the campaign against graft, they must show political will and lead by example.