Everyone hates corruption. Everyone wants to get rid off corrupt government. Everyone wants clean and transparent governance. So inspiring!
The collective effort to end corruption has long started but why do we keep on getting big news about big money involving big people which can be described in one word called corruption? So frustrating.
I also wonder how and why many of the Filipino people have seemed forgotten how issues of corruption and plunder that topple down former President Joseph Estrada. Millions of people even want him back to Malacanang. So disgusting.
After late President Ferdinand Marcos, I would say that our nation have better view of what corruption is and how it affect the lives of the people. I think that understanding help in inspiring people to form collective efforts that ended the presidency of Joseph Estrada.
Corruption is often a misunderstood word. Like culture, it is relative. What looks like corruption may be just a simple SOP or just a gift for someone.
Corruption can take many forms. Small cases of corruption can easily be understood but the parents of what we call small corruption cases are so complex to understand. Thanks to Sheila S. Coronel for allowing us to have good view on how crooks were able to steal public funds and able to hide stealing for a long period of time that the accumulated amount become unbelievable.
Sheila Coronel, former director of Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), wrote 8 Ways to Commit Grand Corruption in two parts.
8 Ways to Commit Grand Corruption (Part 1)
8 Ways to Commit Grand Corruption (Part 2)
I hope many of will be able to read it to learn and become vigilant. Of course not to replicate those grand corruption cases.
In one beer talk with friends, my sangkay (friend) pointed out that a government official who fails to disclose a big amount of money or asset not just betraying public trust but already guilty of corruption.
So in the long and heated discussion, I asked his take on President Noynoy Aquino’s P37-M excess campaign funds (source: PCIJ Blog) which he failed to declare. I was surprised that for him, it did not matter. Actually, the man is yellow fanatic.
So when we talk about corruption, sometimes it depends to who we are talking to.
One important message in the 8 Ways to Commit Grand Corruption is that no matter how grand the corruption was – it would still end up to court and jail.
An Ciudad han Tacloban 