Phoenix Network Forums

Im getting 25 this coming december this year but still I hear, read articles about how corruption in the government has enslaved the filipino. As I have read: "Corruption harmful to Philippines' health from http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/04/25/news/philcorrupt.php, it makes me feel down because Im a Filipino.. And a proud one..

"Corruption", this word is very itchy and even painful to me as a Filipino and as I had experience it and I also believe Im still experiencing it today. Im not posting this topic to show to the forum that I belong to some activists groups, no! Im not a leftist nor a rightist. It's just that, from the time I learned how to read and write, this corruption is already present in our government, in my country. Enjoyed by the crocs who are decently dressed wearing a sweet convincing smiles, not knowing they're the real thieves.. But of course, not all gov't officials are corrupt.. As I heard the saying: .."the poor will be poorer". I think I'll be believing that for Filipinos.

There are a lot of ways how corruption is done in my country, here in our gov't. One for example, DRUGS (illegal), shabu, marijuana. How many gov't officials had shouted in front of us saying: "We will fight drug-abuse" and more regarding killing the drug syndicate, but still up to this point in time, marijuana and shabu are out there.. Not to mention other illegal drugs..

Another example on how gov't officials corrupt our gov't.. gov't employees should be in their respective offices from (at least) 8:00-12:00nn then 1:00-5:00pm but I still see employees who are arriving in their offices @ 10:00am past ten even... But, look at their Timecards, you can see there they had been there @ 8:00am.. See? that's one way of corrupting our gov't in some way...

But in fairness to all the gov't employees/officials, there are more good ones than the bad ones. But these bad ones eventhough they're just a few of them, their doings are much felt by the poor filipinos, including me.. Sad but True..

I did not post this topic to harm somebody or the gov't itself. But rather because, Im very disappointed to what had happened before and what is happening now and will be happening in the future.. Sad but True..

When will this corruption in the Philippines end?

How many Filipinos do we have here?

..just a concerned Filipino expressing my feelings in a very simple humble way...

There are a lot of ways how corruption is done in my country, here in our gov't. One for example, DRUGS (illegal), shabu, marijuana. How many gov't officials had shouted in front of us saying: "We will fight drug-abuse" and more regarding killing the drug syndicate, but still up to this point in time, marijuana and shabu are out there.. Not to meantion other illegal drugs..

It can't be stopped by OTHER government officials, coz they're the one who's behind that.

Arroyo's Administration wants the Filipino people to help her improve our country, but how can we improve if or I think most of those who are high ranking government officials are using government's or Filipino's money for their "personal interests".

I don't think there will be an "end" to corruption especially in our country. That's just the way it is. Just like in prostitution, there'll be no hookers if nobody uses 'em. Same goes with drugs. And in our government, officials tend to be blinded my money and not of service which is their main objective. Money is evil. But then we need it for survival. It's just a matter of choice


peace ya'll

perteng laina ang naga hitabu sa atong nasyon noh!

lmao oh what the heck, that's life. "Survival to the fittest"!!

Bitaw! Katong mga kusgan ra dyud ang mag survive!

Corruption will never stop as long as we have this "BUWAYA" character. Imagine 70% of Filipinos are "BUWAYAS". Based on its findings, PERC found no evidence pointing to democracy as better than an authoritarian regime in fighting corruption. Instead, PERC said that weeding out corruption depended more on the independence and professionalism of institutions like the police and the judicial courts as well as the willingness of political leaders to apply on their friends the same laws and standards that they want the rest of the citizens to follow. People who hold political power are able to so dominate national institutions and how laws are interpreted and enforced that average citizens of the country feel powerless to fight the problem and consider it (corruption) an unfortunate but permanent feature in the system.

it will never end. its a cycle.

usual scenarios:

-new politicians arise from corrupt political families. even those family members that are not fit for public service.

-new idealistic politicians with dreams of changing the country will eventually be corrupted due to exposure to old and corrupted politicians.

-election losers always demand recount and accuse the winners of cheating.

-after winning, they always forget they are public servants in the first place.

-government projects usually occur with the first 100 days after election AND 100 days before the next election. between that, politicians usually dont give a damn

-and government projects are usually some unfinished or substandard infrastructures we dont need, but serve as something to put their names on for everybody to see like " a love project of Mayor.. or Project brought to you by Congressman ... " as if the money spent was theirs.

-they are substandard or unfinished so that these projects will deteriorate in a few years thus they will have to over budget funds for it again

-when interviewed they always say "for the benefit of the people" i will have this and that.. and yet the people dont see any resulting benefits

id like to add more but i think this is enough

Perhaps I can contribute to the debate by stepping back, putting on my academic hat, and providing some perspective on a question that may puzzle the uninitiated - Why is the Philippines so darn corrupt? Or, to rephrase it using an old hillbilly idiom my grandpa used a lot, why are so many key players here crooked as a dog's hind leg?
The Republic of the Philippines is a weak postcolonial state. The public sector is basically subservient to the dominant social classes and deeply entrenched special interests. The reasons can be traced back to the historical evolution of the political system and modes of governance.
Both Spain and America created bureaucracies based on their own models. Indeed, the Philippine state owes little to indigenous Filipino norms or culture - the whole apparatus was externally imposed. Part of the problem was that Uncle Sam was conflicted about the unaccustomed role of colonialist power. Lacking the long history of colonial rule of the Spanish or British, the Americans were never quite comfortable as authoritarian rulers, and never solved the dilemma of how to "save the little brown brothers" while still protecting their strategic interests in Asia. The American administration imposed colonial-style rule (albeit with a Filipino-staffed bureaucracy) while simultaneously encouraging grassroots democracy. They introduced local elections in 1901, only three years after taking over, then legislative elections in 1907, and eventually presidential elections in 1935.
From the beginning, the domestic political process was dominated by powerful clans in the provinces. They have been referred to as caciques, a term originally used in Spain and Latin America, but equally applicable in the Hispanic-influenced Philippines. Michael Cullinane refers to the resultant system as "colonial democracy". Early on, provincial aristocrats like Manuel Quezon and Sergio Osmeña, Sr. extended their power, with local patronage politics gradually seeping up to the national level legislature and the President's cabinet. Tip O'Neill, the former US House Speaker, used to say that "all politics is local". This has always been the case in the Philippines.
This reflects a major crisis of the entire system. Whatever form the upcoming resolution may take, the nation's leaders and thinkers must seriously address the causes of the problems and develop strategies to overcome the deeply rooted tradition of corruption. If they don't, the long-term prospects for this country in the global economy will be significantly jeopardized.

In my country we have a similar corrupt situation though not as hight as in your islands.
The fall of communism was saw by many politicians as the perfect moment to enrich themselves through the state's money, diverging it into there own accounts for there personal interests.
Things are better now though. Why? Well unbelivably things started to lighten up with a new governement that has changed much of the structure although certain corrupt elements remain.
How did it happen? two things:
1) General opinion and massive mass-media campaign ex: the massive loss of elections by the old governement was caused by the general bad opinion people had about it. The next governement is now more carrefull not to repeat the same mistakes of the old one and has dropped many corrupt habits.
2) The integration of Romania in the EU which has forced the politicians to acctually do something about the corruption. They might do that just because they are obliged in order to assert membership but it is still a good thing.
Asia thus not have something like the EU so the only thing left for your country is your opinion. It may sound childish but general opinion thus matter. Even though all political parties are unsuitable for your tastes, you will have to make them learn that they don't stay in power unless they acctuallt do something right. The neverendind circle pugrit talked about can acctually end, it depends mainly on the people of that country.