‘Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap’

Ever since the scandals revealed by President BBM regarding the billions of pesos wasted on flood control projects, the issue of graft and corruption in the Philippines has finally captured the attention of lawmakers, civil society and the media.

I received the following message from the former Public Works secretary Rogelio “Babes” Singson:

“Elfren, for your information, the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP), after hearing Mayor Magalong speak on corruption and what the private sector can do, the MAP has taken the challenge and formed a committee to focus on good governance and anti-corruption. I have been asked to chair the committee because we can no longer keep quiet. We have to speak up and confront the problem of corruption head on. Many of the MAP members have signed up to join the committee. We hope to come up with specific targets and focus on very obvious corrupt practices in all branches of government.”

In the Philippines, graft and corruption have become deeply embedded in the highest level of governance and everyday bureaucratic operations, affecting development, social equity and public trust.

Corruption in the Philippines can actually be traced back to the Spanish colonial period when favoritism and bribery were rampant among colonial administrators. The encomienda system enabled powerful elites to acquire vast landed estates and to exploit local labor and resources in exchange for loyalty to the Spanish administrators.

Even during the American period, modernization brought new opportunities for political and financial manipulation.

After the granting of Philippine independence, corruption worsened with the emergence of political dynasties and patronage politics. During the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos from 1965 to 1986 came the birth of systemic corruption.

After the restoration of democracy in 1986, there was a pause in systemic corruption. However, after less than a decade, there was a return again to crony capitalism, wide-scale graft and corruption and unbridled graft at all levels of government.

One of the most infamous corruption cases in Philippine history is the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), commonly known as the pork barrel scam. This involved the use of discretionary funds by legislators who funneled government money into fake non-governmental organizations and corrupt contractors in exchange for kickbacks.

During the time of President Noynoy Aquino, there was a serious attempt to bring even high government officials to justice. Benhur Luy was the whistleblower who first exposed the scam. Janet Lim Napoles became famous as the front for the legislators for channeling the pork barrel funds into fake projects and kickbacks.

Among the senators accused of receiving millions in kickbacks were Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla. After spending some time in jail, these legislators were eventually released.

These cases highlighted the deep entrenchment of corruption even among the highest officials in the country.

Hopefully, this time the crusade against corruption will become a permanent campaign and not die down as it did a few years ago.

Corruption costs the Philippine economy trillions of pesos annually. Even the Commission on Audit frequently uncovers irregularities in government contracts like “ghost projects,” overpriced equipment and unliquidated funds.

But graft and corruption has serious economic effects on the economy. It reduces foreign investments because investors view corruption as a risk leading to reduced capital inflows. Secondly, as evidenced by the flood control projects anomaly, corruption leads to poor infrastructure and services. Funds meant for roads, bridges, schools and health care are diverted, leaving public services sorely underdeveloped.

Corruption leads to inefficiency and increased bureaucratic red tape, which slows down business processes, increasing the cost of doing business. The worst effect of corruption is that it leads to less support for poor communities, which then leads to greater income inequality and higher poverty levels.

The worst effect of corruption is on the ordinary Filipino family. It inflates the cost of public goods and services, increasing the cost of living. The ordinary family also feels alienated from the justice system and political process, which makes them susceptible to the patronage system.

The misuse of educational funds has led to our poor quality education, which is one of the worst, even only in Southeast Asia.

All these effects of graft and corruption have led to an extremely weak economy and has led many Filipinos to seek better opportunities abroad, due to this corrupt domestic system. I remember it was former President Noynoy Aquino who once said, “Kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap.” (If there is no corruption, there is no poverty.)

For those interested in reading more about this topic, here are some recommended books about graft and corruption:

Some are Smarter than Others by Ricardo Manapat. This is a detailed account of how powerful families manipulated Philippine politics and economy for personal gain.

Marcos Martial Law: Never Again by Raissa Robles, which exposes corruption and abuse during the Marcos dictatorship.

Corruption in Asia: Rethinking the Governance Paradigm edited by Tim Lindsey and Howard Dick. This book provides comparative insights on corruption across Asian countries, including the Philippines.

Plunder and Deceit: Betraying the Young by Mark Levin. This book discusses how corruption and misgovernance compromise the future of young citizens.

Graft and corruption remain as two of the most persistent and catastrophic problems in the Philippines. They erode public trust in their development and perpetuate poverty and inequality.

As Edmund Burke once wrote, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

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