Fight against corruption starts within ourselves

This is in reaction to Randy David’s well-

written piece “Between gridlock and greed” (Opinion, 10/3/13). Thanks to people like him who are raising the level of public consciousness of corruption. It is heartening to note that some people are keeping faith that we can still do something about government shenanigans.

I read David’s piece with a tinge of sadness, though! I am in the twilight of my years and saw how the Philippines slid from being the pride of Asia to a country of brazen robbers and highwaymen masquerading as public officials. The slide has been palpable through the years. In so many instances, multitudes of us talked about the endemic corruption in all levels of government, and even society, framing our dialogues with a sense of resignation that nothing will come out of the hysteria over scandals that, as they are exposed one after another, usually become the passing toast of media but only for a season.

Bring these people to court? How many years will it take to put them in jail? The courts are also as corrupt. The country’s track record in bringing the Marcoses, Ampatuans, the AFP generals, etc., to jail is dismal at best. Our system of justice has money etched on its face that this blinds the justices (and even the majority of the poor who elect the corrupt into positions of trust) to allow the guilty to walk free and regain their stranglehold on public offices.

Opportunism and outright dishonesty. Sadly, these are what many Filipinos are made of. And corruption in all levels of government thrives simply because we elect people of our own kind. To nurture any hope to see the corrupt get their comeuppance in our lifetime, then, will be wistful thinking!

The only hope is for every Filipino to begin today a decided effort to be honest and to not allow himself to be corrupted, and to refuse to belong to a horde of arrogant opportunists who walk and drive on our streets every day. If corruption should stop, it has to begin with us! We can and we must do it! The government seems to be in no position to cure a malady that it has nurtured through the years.

If only we could do this, we can see a better Philippines in no time at all. It will be a profound legacy we can leave the future generation!

—DEN UMALI, florendo_umali@yahoo.com