MANILA, Philippines -- With the latest ratings of Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (PERC) on the Philippines released, our country has descended to the pits, now being considered the most corrupt in Asia. I saw this news on TV and in newspapers, and I have very strong but mixed reactions about it.
Just being called the most corrupt in Asia is really depressing. It was bad enough to be always referred to being as among the worst, but this time our country stands alone with the ugliest crown nailed to our head. In this case, I cannot just write about it as
though I were apart from my country. Its shame is my shame, and shame must move Filipinos towards corrective action.
I was surprised why Gloria blamed opposition people in a foreign group that monitors corruption. After all, the ratings were given by 1,476 expatriate business executives in the region and by none other. If these executives are the ones considered as opposition, kiss our relationships with them goodbye. But if Gloria was pointing out to Transparency International (TI), then she is way off the mark because PERC is not TI. It is also good to note that the most positive ratings given by the expatriate business executives to Singapore and Hong Kong is backed by up greater foreign investments there.
As I understand it from statements of government officials and local businessmen, foreign investments are both necessary and desired. Leaders from the private and public sector court these foreign investments, and even Constitutional amendments are being considered to make foreign investors favor the Philippines. Yet, when the same foreign investors, through their representatives in Asia, rate the Philippines as most corrupt, we blame them instead of trying to change their views of our country.
The good news is that the private sector in the Philippines is not rated nearly as bad. In fact, it can truly be claimed that the rating was good, especially in the context of how bad the public sector, or the Philippine government, was rated. Improvements have to start somewhere, and they are welcome from any source. The fact that the private sector is seen as much more honest and transparent by foreign business executives is a beginning that national transformation can grow from.
Using the passage of the expanded value-added tax (VAT) as an example how she can gain unpopularity from a necessary decision, Gloria was off the mark again. I think she may have misunderstood that the impact of the expanded VAT made her unpopular with the people, not with the foreign business executives. In fact, it may even be true that her decision to push for the expanded VAT made the same executives admire her.
The reaction of Gloria is a crucial factor in making government more honest or in tolerating its corruption. If Gloria believes, and expresses the belief, that PERC's ratings were inaccurate or unfair, then she is telling the expatriate business executives that they are wrong. If they are wrong, which means Gloria is right about the ratings being inaccurate or unfair, then no corresponding corrective measures will be pursued by the government of the Philippines.
Dramatic action will come from a dramatic challenge. To water down the ratings of corruption that are considered the worst among Asian countries is to water down the determination to root corruption out. It is more advisable, for the sake of honesty and transparency, for Gloria to manifest outrage at the level of corruption that shames a nation and renew a massive campaign against it. No one expects corruption to be weeded out overnight, but no one expects corruption to be weeded out at all if Gloria is outraged at the inaccuracy or unfairness of corruption ratings rather than at corruption itself.
What Gloria can take consolation from is that the private sector is viewed as much more honest, or much less corrupt, than the government. If Gloria wants to improve both reality and perception, she can engage the private sector in a meaningful anti-corruption campaign. Definitely, from the standpoint of foreign investments, governance and national ethics, a combined anti-corruption campaign is more desirable than an election campaign where candidates compete to enter a government seen as most corrupt.
And with or without Gloria, the leaders of the private sector that has just been rated as much better than government on the corruption scale should take it upon itself to lead an honesty and transparency campaign, influence the Filipino people to join the campaign, and ultimately infect even government with the enthusiasm to pursue an anti-corruption drive. If the private sector wants government to be relentless in weeding out corruption, it can start the process by showing the way.
Being the most corrupt in Asia is a national shame. If there has been some inaccuracy or unfairness, the best that can happen is that the Philippines will be the second most corrupt. That is still a cause for great national shame. Being rated as corrupt by the very investors we court or are already doing business with is a shame -- whatever the ranking. We should not be comparative when it comes to virtues or vices. We should try to be righteous with the same passion as when we try to avoid wrongdoing -- only as a most vital feature of a Filipino lifestyle and culture.
When we are most ashamed, we can be most motivated to change. Have we hit rock bottom with our shame? If not, then PERC and other international monitoring groups must continue to show our corruption to the world until only carpetbaggers and money launderers will feel motivated to invest in the Philippines. But if our national shame is at its worst, then we have stepped into the best moment of our national life. Only at our worst will be driven most to transform our national shame to national honor.
For that is what we must strive for: our honor as a people, our honor as a nation. And it is all so timely that when international attention is focused on our national shame, it is the perfect moment to begin a national crusade to regain our honor. How timely, too, because we are having elections and the opportunity to change the corrupt for the honest.
This is the moment for Filipinos to realize that it is truly a change in character, from corruption to honesty, from falsehood to sincerity, from compromise to integrity, that is the ONLY way for a nation to cast away its national shame and regain national honor -- and attain progress as well. There is a hint of light in our dark tunnel with more and more Filipinos becoming more and more intolerant of corruption in their lives. Let us seize the moment and begin our journey towards the sun.
Act for Allowing Persons Impeached of High Treason, whereby any Corruption of Blood may be made, or for Misprision of such Treason, to make their full Defence by Council
