Batuhan: Victim syndrome

Allan s.b. Batuhan
Foreign Exchange

THE main problem with white collar crime is that most people do no think it is a crime at all.

There is no blood, there are no injuries, and the victims are faceless individuals.

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Plus, it is in the Filipino to be very good in justifying their participation in white collar crimes.

Funny, isn’t it, that in the only predominantly Christian country in this part of the world, we should be known for being able to rationalize and justify our commission of, and participation in these sinful undertakings?

But it really is not funny. In fact it is tragic, and it is one of the issues that any incoming president with good intentions, and in fact any public leader with good intentions, will be confronted with once he or she gets into office.

We Filipinos have a “victim complex” which allows us to justify the commission of sin, and the perpetration of wrongdoing.

It is in operation, from the lowest level of society, to its highest echelons. And it sits alongside our Catholic Christian beliefs, and most of us are comfortable living in its influence.

What are the common characteristics of this “victim complex?”

One, as long as what I am doing is to meet my needs, my family’s needs, or the needs of people close to me, then what I am doing is well justified. Notice this in operation? Ever experience a road accident where a jeepney or taxi driver was clearly at fault? “Panginabuhi ra man ni sir” is most often the excuse that you hear.

It is their livelihood, and therefore they can get away with bending whatever rules, for their family’s sustenance. The same goes for the hundreds of ladies that must be working in Cebu City’s many spas, masquerading as legitimate businesses whilst actually fronting for prostitution. These young girls have at least an idea that what they are doing is not only against their faith, but against the laws of the land in which they live.

But never mind, the prostitution they are doing is for their sustenance, so it is likewise justified.

Two, as long as what I am doing is doing less harm to others than the harm being done by others to me, then my deeds are justified. To see this in operation, notice how these days, just about every traffic policeman and even traffic aides seem to be on the take? How do they justify this? By their rationalization that their superiors are doing worse things than them. And how do you think their superiors justify what they are doing? Well, you get the message. Everyone thinks that somebody else is victimizing them by either stealing their tax money, or stepping on their rights as citizens. So to them, it is only right that they do the same victimizing to others, in equal or lesser measure.

Yes, these are the two features of the Filipino’s victim syndrome. Unfortunately for this country, this has become so integrated and ingrained into our culture, that it will take a lot of work to eradicate it from our national character.

This is tragic, considering that we should have very strong moral foundations, by virtue of our own Christian upbringing.

And yet, there seems to be no trace of this belief system insofar as it translates to moral and ethical values for our people. We remain perhaps the most corrupt country in Southeast Asia, far eclipsing the crookedness of our Muslim neighbor Indonesia, and our Buddhist friends in Thailand.

(http://asbb-foreignexchange.blogspot.com & http://twitter.com/asbbatuhan)