Quo vadis, Philippines? Lessons on corruption from history

Greed and audacity in politics infuriate us. Many want to grab whatever they can get; they treat politics as a self-service store.

Political culture is increasingly deteriorating, not only in the Philippines. This trend is evident in many Western countries. But corruption runs like a red thread through Philippine history. Filipinos are very patient because in other countries this level of corruption would have long since led to some kind of revolution. People here are probably tired of politics and have become so accustomed to corruption that it has become commonplace.

In China, President Xi Jinping’s iron fist eradicated corruption. Here, we see no sign of anything like that. Have we already reached rock bottom, or is what we know only the tip of the iceberg? It is said that one should not judge people solely by their appearance, as this reduces them to something they are born with and haven’t had to work hard for. This also applies to nations.

The Philippines shouldn’t be defined solely by corruption. The country also defines itself through positive aspects, such as hardworking people like jeepney or tricycle drivers, or perhaps you’ve seen a construction worker building a house during summer. This is incredibly hard physical labor.

A political trick: problems are acknowledged, commissions are announced, and investigations are commissioned—this significantly slows down the process. Public outrage diminishes over time, new issues come into focus, and political pressure to act eases. When a front man in a criminal organization is exposed, he is replaced, not the system behind him. The visible figure disappears, but the structures remain. The same is true at the political level. Structures persist, inefficient systems are only superficially modernized—and making things worse is sold as progress.

Here, too, language plays a central role: reforms are announced with great fanfare, but implementation is scaled back. This creates the impression of progress, while in reality existing power structures are maintained. Caution! Manipulation often begins where politicians emphasize their concern without adjusting their behavior. A good indicator is the question: Is the behavior changing, or just the rhetoric?

Those who are genuinely striving for solutions question established habits, take risks, and communicate transparently–even unpleasant truths. Conversely, those who primarily appeal, moralize, or distance themselves often merely mask the fact that their arguments have run out. So-called psychological warfare isn’t limited to war; it also exists in everyday civilian politics. We are going through dark and dangerous hours here, but as they say, even the darkest hour in life lasts only 60 minutes.

Looking back in history, we see, for example, Mao Zedong, who viewed corruption and waste as “great crimes” and “corrosion” by the bourgeoisie, which he brutally combated with massive campaigns. He launched the Three-Anti Campaign (against corruption, waste, and bureaucracy) and the Five-Anti Campaign (against bribery, tax evasion, etc.) to “cleanse” (the country and save the economy).

Denmark, Sweden, and Finland are considered exemplary and have very low levels of corruption, transparent administration, open information laws, an independent judiciary, a politically stable culture with little concentration of power, and high media freedom. It’s comforting to know that even a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. Quo vadis Philippines?

Jürgen Schöfer, Ph.D.,

Biopreparat.Schoefer@gmail.com

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