‘Tuwid na daan’ losing or gaining ground?

The Pulse Asia survey result showing that Filipinos are divided on whether President Aquino has fulfilled “tuwid na daan” is understandable but inaccurate. The public perception is understandable because the survey was made at a time when stories of corruption dominated newspaper headlines and prime-time television news. But it is inaccurate because the exposés are, in fact, proof that “tuwid na daan” is gaining ground.

The concrete measures of an effective anticorruption drive is the number of graft-ridden irregularities and rotten government people exposed, investigated, prosecuted and convicted—and the eventual recovery by government of stolen wealth. Never before have there been as many powerful individuals involved in corruption exposed, investigated, charged and arrested, a number of them perceived to be untouchables in previous administrations.

It is no less than President Aquino’s strong resolve and relentless effort that have inspired and emboldened whistle-blowers to come forward and expose corruption in government—the reason we are seeing a transformation in governance.

It is only now that we have a resolute President, undaunted by even his fiercest critics, and himself a model of integrity, who makes sure that our institutions of criminal justice work as they should.

Ironically, people see these exposés as indicators that the President’s anticorruption drive is failing. On the contrary, the more cases exposed, investigated and prosecuted, the more successful “tuwid na landas” is. This is what we should expect and this is what is happening.

“Tuwid na daan” has had a transformative impact—changing the way people behave, encouraging whistle-blowers, making them more involved. People in government are now more conscious that they are being watched, that the opportunities for them to do wrong have greatly diminished; and they have been inspired to follow the President’s lead.

We need to have the correct perspective here, otherwise we will miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to finally rid our government of corruption.

—SALVADOR M. ENRIQUEZ JR.,
former secretary, Department of Budget
and Management/Department of Finance