Most of the people who support the Binays continue to do so, despite all the allegations of corruption and abuse of power, not because our legal system demands due process and presumes innocence until there is proof of guilt. The ones I have talked to dismissed all the charges as political harassment predicating the coming elections, and with sweeping statements like “Lahat naman yan sila sa position corrupt. At least sila Binay nagbabalik ng konti sa taong bayan.”
Even at the regional and local levels, the same kind of thinking is manifest from the supporters of whoever local official is being investigated. Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos even are beneficiaries of this jaded outlook.
A sad commentary really to how desensitized some of us already are to something so fundamentally objectionable as stealing from the government’s coffers!
This fatalistic attitude is not without basis. I wager this is precisely how the saying about the kettle and the pot was coined. This process of accusations and counter-accusations has become exhaustingly repetitive in the eyes of most Filipinos. True, there have been convictions and prosecutions, but the wheels of justice grind too slow, and often, top notch lawyers that the accused’s money can afford delay the delivery of justice even more. Some even get pardoned, on purely political grounds. To be fair, the current administration’s campaign catchingly dubbed as Matuwid Na Daan (The Straight Path) has put the war against corruption at the top of the agenda of everyone’s mind. And having personalities like the sitting BIR Commissioner (Henares), the Secretary of Justice (De Lima) and the Ombudsman (Carpio-Morales) as the lead attack dogs (pardon the pun) in this drive - whether you agree with me or not - has really put some serious bite into the campaign. Still, we wait, as Westeros of the HBO hit based on JRR Martin’s series of the same title, Game of Thrones, for a Daenerys Targaryen, the show’s heroine with her three dragons, to declare the breaking of the wheel, of the vicious cycle of corruption. And many of us have given up hope.
There are some of us though who are not yet so resigned, who would like to think that corruption is still a deplorable crime. But this disease has really become an epidemic even those who would consider themselves repulsed when confronted with the idea of billion peso kickbacks may still be tainted. Consciously or not.
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| No pun intended. c2013 |
A friend recounted the story of how he recently had a conscience struggle in order to make a tough choice. Which for a middle class person like him meant the choice was going to hurt his wallet. To provide additional context: This friend, who we shall call Jake (of course not his real name!) is by no means a self-righteous nor a perfectly righteous man. But for all the years I have known him, I have seen how he strives to conduct himself with the highest levels of integrity and honesty. In fact, I have marched with him in some protest actions calling for the abolition of the Pork Barrel. Probably would not account for much, but suffice it to say, Jake is one of those people I know who really feels strongly about good and responsible governance.
To go back to the story, Jake recently came upon an opportunity to buy a piece of land in his home province. A first time buyer of anything property, he assumed the transaction was going to be straightforward. He had done the research and pretty much he knew what the transactional costs for the purchase would be, e.g taxes and commissions. He was taken aback though when the sales agent approached him inquiring what amount he wanted reflected on the deed of sale. Apparently and allegedly, it is common practice to put in a much lower value on the said document to reduce the tax liabilities that will arise from the sale. Doing so brings down his liabilities by as much as 80% of the original amount. Instant personal gain! Criminal, if you really think about it.
In all my years of work as a Finance practitioner, I have consciously avoided the area of local tax and statutory compliance because I know how shady things can get. Yet, I was just as naive as Jake. I found it initially amusing how shrewd this behavior is. I did some checking, and true to what Jake said, such practice is known and common. The argument put forward in favor of evasion, for that is what it is, was that it would lessen the opportunities for corruption. The money is better left in our possession than be paid over to the authorities, only to be stolen.
Is this reasoning valid? Is the logic sound? Is it vigilante justice to pre-emptively cheat to prevent a presumed malfeasance? Did not the Bible say to give to Caesar what is due him? Or if you prefer the literary guidance to the Biblical one, I took a line from Rudyard Kipling's If for the banner of this article, imploring us not to reciprocate in kind when we have been just as wronged.
If we were to believe the myth of Robin Hood, the argument does seem to have some basis. But only if Jake decided to redistribute the money to the “poor” people around him.
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| A citizen protester in a 2013 rally against the Philippine Pork Barrel demands an accounting of his monthly tax. |
Our conversation did not get to the end of the story. I do not know how Jake finally decided, but his story prompted me to think about how solid personal principles come into play in such dilemmas. The temptation to do wrong will not always be through some grand evil act that presents itself to you, Not all of us will be given the opportunity to rob millions or billions of pesos, and get away with the murder. But there is no qualifier, quantifier, to the Commandment that says "Thou shalt not steal."
We demand so much from our government. We take this administration to task for the Daang Matuwid shortcomings - perceived or real. Do we really think the President, or Henares, or Carpio can singlehandedly clean up this broken system? What does it make us when we ourselves confront the problem of corruption by cheating as well?
Is addressing corruption a Clean-The-Ocean, or Save-the-World-of-Hunger type of problem? My Six Sigma Master Black Belt coach uses these terms to describe issues that would require a miracle to fix.
I used to think education would be the key to solving our society’s ills. That if we all knew better, it will naturally follow that our informed choices will be more superior, and will be for the betterment of this country. I have adjusted my beliefs a bit. Smarts without heart and spirit is a more deadly threat to society. Look at the top crooks of the country! And then tell me their pedigree. I can bet my full year tax a majority of them are well lettered.
People of my generation would remember that Milo jingle that goes something like “Great things come from small beginnings.” And so it is with crime. The most heinous crimes in life will always start from some small, often innocent-seeming acts, that then become habit, progressing more and more into the realm of the dark, until one's callused conscience stops to even be bothered by the consequences.
I have always believed that our behavior when we fall in line, waiting for the bus, when we shop and talk to the grocery attendants, and yes, even when we have to deal with those we deem lowly, to pay taxes, in the routine of our day to day lives - all are opportunities to build on a habit of integrity and honesty. Like most things, acquiring these virtues requires practice and discipline, demands being tested.
I know this societal renewal is an even longer process than most of the remedies we are doing now to solve our society's ills, possibly spanning even a few more generations. But this is the most sustainable.
In the meantime, the national elections is just around the corner. And for that reason, I cry. It seems this country does need a miracle. But for that reason also, I smile. I have seen enough of them in my life to remain faithful and hopeful.
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This blog also appears on the July 20 edition of The Bohol Tribune.
