Hi Philstar thanks for the article I still remenbered a speech given by Ang Seow Lian our Assistant Director of the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau. Corruption has a direct and grave impact on the level of poverty in a country. When corruption is rife, it will inevitably lead to the following a. diversion of a nation’s wealth to the pockets of those in power and their cronies. At times, this includes aid money from others meant as disaster or other relief, widening of income gap,increasing of business cost,decreasing of investments. In the early beginning in the 50 and 60%, pay levels were low, society was poorly educated. But that did not stop government from taking a tough stance against corruption. Civil servants were charged in court for corruption even if it was because they were poorly paid and need extra cash. At the same time, government enacted measures to uplift the living standards and pay levels were enhanced over the years they reports to the Prime Minister. This gives them functional independence so that no government body can question or influence
them in their enforcement and investigation efforts. In fact, by 1992, CPIB’s independence of action was more or less guaranteed constitutionally. It was such independence of action that enabled CPIB to take action against Ministers and many top civil servants, all these years. Finally he ended his speech with a strong statement and flair that "No case is too small or too big to investigate We have zero tolerance towards corruption and the message is clear to all that any case will be investigated and dealt with seriously regardless or rank or status. We are prepared to deal with both giver and receiver of bribes. We fight corruption in both public and private sectors. We help ensure good governance in both sectors and a level playing field for all. We are prepared to investigate a case based on the merit of the complaint even if it is anonymous". I guess so far Singapore had keep their corruption level to the minimum.
Posted by Philstar
The news from New York over the weekend was that a 39.5-carat Brazilian diamond ring once owned by former first lady Imelda Marcos was set to be auctioned by Christie’s. The ring was first bought in 1860 by Archduke Maximilian before he was named emperor of Mexico. Imelda could afford to buy such expensive jewelry in 1983, and managed to sell it in the mid-1990s when the government was supposed to be running after ill-gotten wealth.
The widow of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos has openly lamented the confiscation of the piles of jewelry that she had taken with her on the US military plane that flew her and her husband to exile in Hawaii in February 1986. The government has also confiscated her family’s real estate properties in New York and Swiss bank accounts. But Imelda Marcos is far from impoverished, and the sale of that ring only added to the wealth that she once said she would distribute to Filipinos to eradicate poverty in the country.
The self-styled purveyor of “the true, the good and the beautiful” continues to flaunt her enormous jewelry collection. She has never been convicted of even a traffic violation, even in New York, where a jury cleared her of charges in connection with ill-gotten wealth.
Imelda was rebuffed by voters when she ran for president, but she does well in local politics. Today she is running for a congressional seat in her late husband’s bailiwick, and she is expected to win. It will be a comeback for her after serving as congresswoman representing a district in her home province of Leyte. The Marcoses continue to enjoy a solid following in the Ilocos Region, and several presidential aspirants are courting their support.
Their full rehabilitation, without ever being convicted of any of the numerous criminal complaints lodged against them, is a constant reminder of the country’s failure to hold public officials accountable for amassing wealth through questionable means. That failure has guaranteed the perpetuation of a culture that has given us the ZTE and NAIA-3 scandals, corrupted election officials and a judiciary co-opted by the executive. Imelda Marcos is a living icon of getting away with everything.
