Pacete: Corruption: Philippine style

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte is already complaining about the proliferation of corruption in many government offices. Many believe that the culture of corruption has been built on the essential nature (psyche) of the Filipinos. There is corruption everywhere. Many of us can still hope that this is just an allegation.

Corruption is the state of being or becoming decayed. The state is impliedly used in a manner if government officials do not wisely use government money for its intended purpose, or it can run deeper than that. In government, corruption can be sweetly done when there is collaboration among the corrupt officials. “It takes more than two to perform a field demonstration.” That saying from a retired treasurer still works.

The culture of corruption has always a beginning. It is sustained. It has become a habit until old age. (I could be wrong somewhere because in every rule there is always an exception.) The father of a family would always tell his son, “Don’t tell your mother that you have seen me with another woman. Here is the money.” A mother would also tell her daughter, “Don’t tell your father that I am late in going home. I played cards with my friends. Here is the money.”

Alliance and relationship bridge corruption also. One qualified applicant is not taken in a government office because he did not campaign or he is not known to the appointing authority. A less qualified was taken in for political accommodation. This resulted in inefficiency in government work. Sometimes in an office, the head can no longer tell his casual workers to work because they do not know the work intended for that office.

President Duterte is much worried about government offices and some officials (not all) running those offices. Why do we have a corrupt department and division heads? They would always reason out, “We simply follow our leader. If he can afford to do big things; we can afford also to do smaller things.” That simply goes to show that the low-level employees have their models. “If Sir can do it, we can do it better.”

Malicious allegations sip in. If a local government unit would borrow money for noble intention, someone would always say, “They are doing it to raise fund for the next election.” This could not be true but rumor is delicious especially if they hear statements coming from groups having a contract with government projects. People become judgmental if the house of a department head is getting bigger and bigger. His monthly salary cannot make him rich.

Anomalous transactions are sweetly alleged for ghost employees, payroll padding, altered official receipt, a doctored program of work, monkey liquidation of expenses, over pricing, the monopoly of contract, the project not following specifications, and many more. Some stories circulated about corruption could just be a plain urban legend.

Others would follow a theory: When there is smoke, there is a fire. President Duterte wants proper cleansing in his own backyard. We challenge the barangay captains, mayors, and governors to do their own clean-up drive. Public officials should face the 2019 election with clean hands and conscience. Prove that you have not been corrupted by the culture of corruption!

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