Saturday, December 08, 2007 Libre: Bad apples in the system By Mel Libre Seriously Now
ON Dec. 9, International Anti-Corruption Day will be observed.
One group in the front line of fighting graft and corruption, Transparency International, released three days in advance its Global Corruption Barometer 2007.
Surveying 63,199 respondents in 60 countries, the Barometer came out with an honor roll (least corrupt) as well as a notoriety list (most corrupt).
It says: "More than one in ten respondents reported having to pay a bribe in the past year for access to a service. The countries with the highest level of petty bribery are Albania, Cambodia, Cameroon, FYR Macedonia, Kosovo, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Romania and Senegal.
It added: "The Philippines and India stood out as the most pessimistic countries, with more than 79 percent of respondents expecting an increase in corruption. Among the most pessimistic countries are Germany, Senegal, South Africa, Netherlands and the United Kingdom."
Having the Philippines in the list is not flattering at all. Every president since the ouster of Ferdinand Marcos and his wife Imelda made eradication of corruption as one of the cornerstones of their administration. Yet, all of them, from Corazon Aquino to Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, were accused of corruption by critics.
The Barometer not only mentioned, though, the big fishes but also small barracudas that thrive in the local and regional offices of government extorting money from ordinary citizens trying to process documents. Then there are the citizens who want to get ahead by cutting corners, of course, at a cost.
We know which departments are notorious--–the Bureau of Customs, the Bureau of Internal Revenue, the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Land Transportation Office and the Registry of Deeds. But the list can go on and on. And you can tell that by the look of people who go to government offices and are frustrated by the public disservice given to them.
If it is any consolation, the Barometer reveals that the police and the judiciary in many countries are part of a cycle of corruption, demanding bribes from citizens.
We are not alone. But this is troubling as well because, if the price is right, a murderer or drug lord can get away with crime while an innocent accused is sentenced to life imprisonment. That does not even include cases involving prominent individuals that have dragged on in court, while some alleged petty criminals succumb to vigilantes out to pursue "speedy" justice.
On a personal note, I am elated that the bureaucracy in New Zealand is on top of the honor roll, together with Finland and Denmark with the uniform score of 9.4 out of 10.
In my more than a year’s work in the High Court of New Zealand, I have yet to hear of anyone, not just among my peers but in the entire judiciary, accused of corrupt practices.
There are no heaps of pending files in most of our tables at the end of the day and we work to deliver the work on the day required, if not earlier. What makes most of us happy is the kind words of gratitude from the public we have sworn to serve. It’s not that we are paid fairly well; rather, we are driven by the desire to deliver first class service. It is honorable to be a public servant in this part of the world.
I know that there are honorable people who work in the different departments of government in the Philippines, but then the reality is that the bad apples have contaminated the system.
