Tourism Secretary-designate Bernadette Fatima Romulo Puyat can’t help but cry on
national TV after she found out how the budget of the Department of Tourism was spent by its former officials. She said in Filipino: “I am shocked because everyday I discover something, so I feel sad because we are talking about huge amounts of money, not just 1 million, but hundreds of millions.” The message is clear: There’s corruption going on at the DOT.
In fairness to the former DOT officials who are being publicly denounced for allegedly cheating the government of its resources, Romulo Puyat must do her duty not only as tourism chief but as a taxpayer: File corruption charges against these former officials. We have comprehensive laws on corruption, and as long as the evidence of their wrongdoing is strong, we have to give not only these former DOT officials but all other public servants who view their public office as a profitable trust the biggest lesson they deserve—let them rot in jail.
In this country, however, our fight against corruption is just expressed in words and never backed by deeds. For example, what happened to the NBN-ZTE deal? The diversion of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office funds to finance fictitious expenditures? The fertilizer scam involving Department of Agriculture officials? The anomalous issuance of tax credit certificates to oil companies, among others?
In her paper, “An Advocate’s View of Corruption,” lawyer Lalaine D. Benitez said: “If we are to take a proactive role in our fight against corruption, we have to start in ourselves. Parents have to start their children early. Leaders have to lead by example. We have to take a reassessment of our priorities and our values. We have to strengthen our virtues. Let us go back to the basics, teaching and imbibing honesty, continuous learning and strengthening our age-old virtues. What is at stake is the future of our children, peace in our country and peace of our minds. Indeed, not until we truly realized this can we truly implement the constitutionally enshrined principle that public office is a public trust and all public officers and employees must at all times be accountable to the people.”
Benitez added: “The existence of institutions to fight corruption is not enough. Total individual reorientation and determination is called for. If every Filipino can think in terms of giving back, of paying back, of putting up with the corrupt system, of staying and fighting on and not giving up, corruption can, in many ways, be shut up.”
Because not all investigations yield indictments, many corrupt political leaders feel no compunction to step down, even if they become so loathed that constituents rise up by the millions to demand their exit. In terms of impunity, corruption in the government is seemingly increasing in scale. That’s because those involved are seldom jailed.
This brings to mind a joke about a kindergarten class that went on a field trip to a local police station, where a kindly police officer showed them about. Stopping in front of a “Ten Most Wanted” poster, he explained how citizens often help bring about arrests. “Are those pictures of the bad guys?” one 6-year-old asked. The officer said they were. “Well,” pursued the kid, “why didn’t you hold him after you took his picture?”
Sometimes, we can learn some valuable lessons from kids. We have to “hold” corrupt officials while we can. If we encourage a proactive approach to fight corruption, if Filipinos get involved in the fight, no big fish can manage to escape. It’s worth remembering that our indifference brings out the worst in our corrupt leaders.