The Philippines’ long struggle to achieve social progress is finally seeing some gains, thanks in large part to the Filipinos’ vigilance, media’s scrutiny, and the good Lord’s divine grace.
But two things continue to hobble the country’s march to progress: graft and corruption, and cronyism. Until these are acknowledged and corrected by government and the public, social progress will be slow and severely limited.
Corruption and cronyism in the police force, at any level, are serious crimes, the more so when they infest its higher ranks because they destroy the people’s faith in the very institution tasked, paid and sworn to protect them.
Worst of all when corruption finds its way into the family of a ranking police official—because it gives the impression that there is nothing an ordinary citizen can do about it. If people give up even trying to make a difference, corruption in the police force will go out of control.
Such is the case with a high-ranking police officer in Cebu. He knows a crime of contractual fraud is currently being committed by a sister of his. But he does nothing to stop it, even just to “educate” his sister about criminal nature of her act, if only to dissuade her from perpetuating it.
When his sister and her expat husband (now deceased) started a poultry business and incurred unexpected expenses trying to ensure the business’ continued profitability, they asked—then begged—the husband’s son to invest hard-earned money in the venture. A land on Bantayan Island (near where the sister was born and raised) they earlier bought for the business was made a collateral for the son’s investment, along with promises in writing of regular reimbursements/returns. It turns out later that the land was registered not in the name of the sister and her deceased husband. Neither were there any reimbursements nor returns sent to the dutiful, loving, trusting son.
The high-ranking police official knows about all of this, yet he turns a blind eye to it. The family has asked him many times to get involved and make it right, as a brother to the widow, as her advisor, and as a police official in the place where the sister is now living.
The police official knows that the late husband’s son, his nephew by marriage, has been diagnosed with cancer requiring prompt medical care and surgery. The nephew has repeatedly begged the police official and his sister for his share of the land and promised reimbursements and returns, so he could pay for the expensive medical care needed for his survival. The sister has promised him many times she would sell the land and give the son what is due him. She recognizes his interest in the land, totaling $35,000 plus interest and payments, but she has not done any of this. I know this for a fact: I am that son and nephew.
I pray for the country’s entire police force, for the government and all its personnel, for progress and for a better Philippines for the Filipino people.—JEFRI METHEANY, sloncoo@yahoo.com