CORRUPTION IN LOW LEVELS

There appears to be a wrong focus on the need for honesty and integrity as traits of the next president of the country.

Yes, the president should possess these virtues. But so must those in the lower echelons of government, especially the local governments. It is here where decisions affect the bulk of the people, especially the poor and the needy.

Let me give you an example of low-level graft and corruption. A young man, an enterprising entrepreneur, wanted to open a shop at a city’s central business district. He filed an application for a business permit as far back as September last year. Recently, and out of desperation—he was, after all, paying the rent for his shop —he succumbed to graft and corruption by paying P10,000 to people in the city Business Permit Office.

The shop this young man wanted to open had frequent visitors from city hall— from sanitation, construction and building inspectors, all hinting that it would be simpler for him to have a fixer for you-know-what. This young man, an idealist, wanted everything aboveboard and in order. So he waited and waited—but the permits didn’t come.

He went to City Hall. There, in front of so many people, he was asked P50,000 under the table. After so much haggling, the grease money went down to P10,000. He got his permit.

Santa Banana, multiply this a thousand times. If this is happening right in Metro Manila, we can only guess how much building contractors and developers are paying for graft and corruption throughout the country.

That’s why when a presidential candidate claims that he’s honest and would not steal, I’d like to ask him: Can he really stop graft and corruption in all levels of government?

* * *

I have been asked by friends why I’m so hard on Liberal Party standard bearer Senator Noynoy Aquino. Why do I often criticize him? To be honest, I have nothing personal against Noynoy, although I cannot forget what happened during the incumbency of his late mother, President Cory.

I cannot forget the plunder of Kamaganak Inc., of which I was a victim. Erectors Inc., a company founded by the late transportation minister Totoy Dans and of which I was a founding director, was one of the 39 firms given on a silver platter to Cory’s in-laws. I never heard of my investments again.

I also cannot forget how vindictive the Aquino government was, going after everything and anything that smelled of the Marcoses. Thus, after several years, Cory had nothing to show for her performance.

In fact, while many say she is the icon of democracy, I say instead she was a mere beneficiary of the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution.

Noynoy now says that if he gets elected President, he would review all infrastructure contracts of the Arroyo administration. Santa Banana, here we go again!

I say Noynoy is truly his mother’s little boy. He campaigns under the shadow of his famous parents. He shows the tendency to run a vindictive and regressive government.

* * *

At the rate the Finance Department and the Bureau of Internal Revenue are pushing the Swiss-based Sicpa Security’s unsolicited proposal—which will, by the way, cost the government some P30 billion within seven years, with P12 billion going to Sicpa as it provides security stamps on every pack of cigaret and tobacco manufactured supposedly to stop tax evasion and smuggling—I can only surmise that these agencies, as well as Customs, have failed to do what they should be doing in the first place.

Come to think of it, the BIR is supposed to be on top of efforts to curb tax evasion by manufacturers, and Customs is mandated to stop smuggling of cigarets and tobacco. But, what they are doing instead—passing the buck to an unsolicited proposal for a project which costs billions of pesos of taxpayers’ money—will result in an extra cost of P0.50 per pack of cigarets.

Why should consumers bear the cost of these agencies’ inefficiency?

If BIR and Customs are not doing their job of stopping tax evasion and smuggling, something is terribly wrong. There’s already the Attrition Law which gives incentives to good performance and penalizes inefficiency and corruption.

It’s but logical: When people are not doing their jobs well, they should be fired!

* * *

There was this politician who died and found himself at the pearly gates of Heaven. As expected, Saint Peter was at this post, but was quite flustered and told the man bluntly (for it was rather unusual for a government official to pass his way) to wait to consult higher authorities.

A few minutes later, Saint Peter returned and told the politico that he first had to take a tour of both heaven and hell. Saint Peter then took an elevator with the man down to hell. When the doors opened, the politician got excited because he saw the pleasant surroundings and familiar faces. Everyone was eating, drinking and dancing to their hearts’ content. Hell was one big party place.

After catching up with his old cronies, the man was told that it was time to tour heaven. They walked through the pearly gates, but found everyone in heaven serenely lounging in the clouds, playing harps and flutes, or quietly observing life below.

When Saint Peter asked the politician where he would prefer to go, the latter said, “To hell of course!” So down he went, but when the doors opened, the man did not recognize the place. It was a vast wasteland on fire, and all his friends were dressed as garbage collectors.

“What happened?” he asked a bystander, who was the devil, in disbelief. The devil answered: “Yesterday, we were campaigning. Today, you voted!”

Santa Banana this may just be a joke, but in our kind of elections. It serves as a stern warning for voters who should not be lulled by promises and claims of honesty and integrity.