We often criticize politicians for being corrupt and we imagine them as scheming and evil freeloaders. Corruption in its subtle form is insensitivity to others caused by a lack of the human virtues of humility and justice. Thus, small-scale corruption is evident in our daily drive to work as seen by the flagrant disregard for stoplights and the rules of the road.
The key is courtesy and sensitivity to others. Correcting corruption in our society comes through a concerted, collective effort from all of us in small concrete ways such as respecting traffic rules.
Politicians who are caught red-handed embezzling millions of pesos are, perhaps, unaware of what they are doing until it is too late because maybe they may have lacked that sensitivity and courtesy due others in very small things.
—JOHN MARK S. DE LEON, MD,
12 Torres Bugallon St.,
Tierra Pura, Quezon City