This is the State of the Filipino Nation. First, institutions have slowly degraded and are crumbling as the tendrils of corruption extend beyond every strata of government and into every aspect of society. Second, the stark economic reality as posited by the World Bank in a research paper is this: the Philippines’ public sector is constrained by serious fiscal pressures, a weighty debt service, and a high cost of input, and that it will be hard pressed to keep public investments growing at GDP growth rate[i].
Cynics charge that nothing will change and the belief that 2010 is about good and evil is a mistake. The year 2010 and beyond is about ending the quarrel of our past and present. It is about building a future. The sad reality is that we cannot solve the Philippines’ serious fiscal problems and our people’s unanswered questions of poverty and surplus without Institutional Reform and yet, neither can the Philippines stand still as the world marches forward.
How is this best realized? Where do we begin?
Institutional Reform
Graft and Corruption
The most problematic factor for doing business in the Philippines as listed by Global Economic Report 2009-2010 is as follows: Corruption (24.4%), Inefficient Government Bureaucracy (20.6%), Inadequate supply of Infrastructure (15.0), Policy Instability (12.6%), Access to financing (5.2%)[ii].
This is endemic in the Philippines. Graft and corruption extends across every fabric of society. Even well meaning people are forced to bend to its mighty grip[iii]. Word is, justice, whether court of law or Ombudsman can be bought and yet no one would come out on record to say so for fear of being harassed or worst. Graft and Corruption also accounts for leaks in Government spending and inefficiency. A parallel could be drawn between the state of Hong Kong in the 1960s and 1970s and the Philippines today.
In 1974, Hong Kong created the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) that answered only to the Governor of Hong Kong. It rooted out corruption, with a mass purge in 1978[iv]. ICAC used a three-prong approached: law enforcement, prevention and education and it required a first successful case by bringing Police Officer Godber’s extradition and prosecution to prove ICAC’s commitment[v].
Something similar must happen in the Philippines.
The Office of the Ombudsman today is already patterned after ICAC but without political will to exercise that power, with political will directed at keeping the status quo, where then does it leave us?
In the Philippines, areas of priority to root out corruption must be in law enforcement and the judiciary. There must be an independent commission against corruption that prioritizes the following targets
- Office of the Ombudsman;
- Philippine National Police;
- Department of National Defense and the Office of the President;
- National Bureau of Investigation and,
- Judiciary.
It must be answerable to the President of the Philippines. While an Independent Commission deals with Law Enforcement, and lays down the foundation for for preventing corruption[vi], it needs the Office of the Ombudsman and the Judiciary as a whole to be clean and efficient as much as it is independent in prosecuting cases and settling disputes.
Law Enforcement and a Judiciary that people trust must be top priority to bring civility into society. While this is an important and crucial first step, on the one hand this does not solve entirely the problem of corruption.
The Next Government must also sign the Rome Stature of the International Criminal Court as added safeguard that Future Filipinos can use to engage its government.
[Full post is on blogwatch, together with appropriate references]
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The post will be so long and I hope you guys appreciate it.
The Ombudsman Court that is supposed to be an independent body
prosecuting graft and corruption is controlled by the President.
It has sold itself. It had sold its soul. It has sold its self respect.
How can you prosecute graft and corruption. If the Big fish is sitting
in the Palace? And cases are put on hold?
yep. that’s the problem. some of the research i did… well let’s just say i can’t publish it, mostly because my sources didn’t agree to go on record. what i can say is that the ombudsman system in itself isn’t terrible. maybe if we made the top guy less political, we might see actually results.
edit. added: it’s actually one of the easiest offices to clean out corruption because i don’t think it is that endemic there. and besides you need to start somewhere. get the ombudsman to be trust worthy enough… would be a good start imho.
How about if these Ombudman Judges are directly elected by the
people? Instead of being appointed by the President?
Side-topic: If you know a senior in college or a recent college graduate who is particularly interested in the state of jobs (what jobs are available, where the jobs are) you may want to point them to this Inquirer-online article.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100102-245204/Wanted–10000-dog-handlers
Note: most jobs mentioned in the article are not in Pilipinas and therefore the jobs were not created by any Pilipinas job-creation initiative.
“With corruption at the head it would be strange indeed to find anything but corruption in the heart and in the body. Thus when the head of the State habitually accumulated as large a fortune as possible during his term of office, whilst his wife, if an enterprising lady, made a separate and perhaps smaller fortune of her own initiative, it would be opposed to human nature if each official in every grade down to the lowest did not follow the august example and make what profit he could each in his degree. And this unholy traffic, be it observed, was carried on not only at the expense of the Philippine islanders, but also at that of the Chinese traders, at that of merchants of all weak nations, and even with cheerful inconsequence at that of their own soldiers and sailors.”
Who would not think the comment above speaks of contemporary Philippine situation? Don’t be surprise to know that the quotation is actually from Younghusband’s book, “The Philippines and round about”, published in 1902, which described the Spanish rule. History really repeats itself.
macapili,
It doesn’t repeat in the Philippines, it keeps going and going and going . . .
How many ferries have to rest on the bottom, how many homes buried under mudslides, how many election motivated killings, how many brownouts, how many broken government agencies, before the leaders acknowledge things ain’t workin’ right . . . and decide public service is more important than self-service.
I think there are no patriots in the Philippine leadership, as patriots would not let this continue . . .
Joe
Hey, Joe…. maybe the reason is this particular Filipino practice — Children living with their parents until the parents die or until the child reaches 45-years old or becomes a Senator, whichever arrives later.
This is pure total speculation — thinking outside the balikbayan box, sabi nga ni perfessser Inhinyero. The flaw is the failure of the child to obtain awareness that there are principles just as important, or even more important, than loyalty to parents and family. There are no patriots because Pinas youth grow up totally beholden to this mindset that children are obligated to their parents and to sisters and brothers.
UP n,
“becomes a senator” hahahahaha
And the trend in the US is college grads moving back in with Mom and Dad. Gracious . . .
Joe
When big time corruption begins at the ‘inner sanctum’ of the highest office of the land itself, how can corruption be addressed?
One individual or entity cannot be accountable to the President of the Philippines were it the case that the president herself is not being held accountable by any other office lower than Malacanang?
In other words, no one dares fight ‘superman’, will anyone do so?
“There are no patriots because Pinas youth grow up totally beholden to this mindset that children are obligated to their parents and to sisters and brothers.”-UP n
Nothing to do with patriotism, imho. There are personal obligations, and there are personal obligations. Doing evil and immoral things has nothing to do with it. One can love ones parents and siblings without having to rob ones fellowmen even if oft times temptations lurks and necessity beacons.
Bert: Of course, you are right, and you’d think every one knows that, right? Yet Kamag-anak Inc’s of various sorts, from Pilipinas dynasties to Mexico drug families continue to be evidence that ignoring the integrity of the country out of loyalty to family is A-OK. The flaw is from failure to obtain awareness that there are principles just as important, or even more important, than loyalty to parents and family.
JoeAm: My perception is that more patriots come out of countries where the educational practice is to instill “community service” in the minds of high school and college students. One, the kinship with community is further instilled. Two, repeated is the mantra — “action is better than sloth”, action is better than words. Three, there is the expectation — being positive member of community beyond one’s clan is both easy to do and worthwhile to do, and personal engagement in community service improves the quality of the nation.
This is plain English.
What’s going on with our U.S. dollar here in America? Is [BEP] ruining it for everyone? What more could have they done, that they haven’t done. What the Bureau of Engraving and Printing has done, is to print out more “monopoly monies” for the big corporation(s) to have. Banks, Auto Industries, these are one the few major players on this big scam. That my friend, put us normal people in the bind, or should I call it, ECONOMIC RECESSION. The [Federal Reserve] or what we call the Fed have so much “monopoly money”, it’s putting this nation to shame. For what it’s worth, NADA, KAPUT, ZILCH, WALA NA… in another word, ZERO balance. To put it into money currency, the Federal Reserve have put this great nation into negative balance. In Trillions of Dollars, my friend. And it’s going, to effect everyone…!
FYI,
“Federal Reserve Bank” is no better than the “Federal Express”.
Fed’s itself is not a Federal agency, but own by independent banking, or private[semi]-bank. In another word, not a Government Agency.
Federal Express. Well, they are generating their own economics, by putting earn money back into the systems. That’s economics for you. There’s a trade off there!
IMHO,
Invest your money into “GOLD” if you can, even “SILVER”, is another good commodity.
Post Script,
With all said and done by Cocoy. Wow, and enduring research there!
True, our government is having their problem. And we must, also be involve with our own system. Also, one must think, the government is not going to run your lives for you. So, invest on your future plan. See a “Financial Analyst” if you can. This my friend, is simple solution(s) to your economic problem(s), I should say burden.
$Gold and $AAPL. lolz. this isn’t an investment advice but also go see your broker about $nxg. lolz.
cocoy,
Getting back to the main topic. You have stated!
Not just by its own government doing the corruption, but also being rendered by the non governmentt entity. For instance, the opposing terrorist, CPP/NPA are collecting, what so called “REVOLUTION TAXES” to its neighboring barrios and provinces. If the people rejects their proposition, their homes are burnt or properties destroyed. Not alone, their lives are being threaten.
So, where does the Philippine Government, place a particular portion of taxes, for the abiding citizens who are already getting screwed by the terrorist? And, to what extent do they want to raise the taxes for the common people, if they can not resolve this type of embezzlement.
I hear you! i believe the term you are looking for is “failed state”.
i think we’re not yet there but if Villar wins thats a sign that the Left has at least won.
One of my blog post for Blogwatch had a lot of pro-left comments and i got a lot a hate mail from them saying exactly what you said. mine though was less diplomatic. haha.
We forget about the commission on Audit, that is where most of the data form blue ribbon committee comes from.
How can a commission on audit perform their functions on such areas where there are the likes of Amaptuans, even with their glaring misuse of government money with their palatial mansions,and fire power cache.
So locally it is also a problem aside from not having a trust worthy president and not having a trust worthy ombudsman.
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Some cases which charges a number of people let’s say 50 makes the chances of mastermind to get away more likely.
let us use a case where a navy foic was charged,together with 50 others.
let us say not all of them have anything to do with the charges they are accused of. You have to prove all 50 are guilty beyond reasonable doubt,but that would be hard ,because first you have to build your case based on individual depositions and before proceed with discovery.
It would take eternity .
That is just one case,there are thousands more in the backlog.
Funny rumor about this case is that it all started when a former president decided to get back on someone for making him lose or not allowing him to have much votes in a certain naval base in bonifacio.
hope that is not true,though.
Karl, you know I did forget about that, re: commission on audit!
That’s a very good point!
I’m just curious Karl, Is this the 1998 FOIC? He seems to have a clean record.
A pleasure to read such substance, Cocoy. I loved the NCR section and was delighted that u mentioned the ICC (my pet project). Maraming salamat!
yep. i learned it from you. thank you :D
ooh, lovey dovey.
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