August 15, 2000, The Philippine Star, Corruption deeply imbedded in RP history, culture -- study, by Sandy Araneta,

August 15, 2000, The Philippine Star, Corruption deeply imbedded in RP history, culture -- study, by Sandy Araneta,

President Estrada's quest to rid the country of what he called a "kleptocracy" may be akin to the search for the Holy Grail.

Eric Batalla, a political science professor at De La Salle University, said the President could be on an impossible mission because corruption appears to be ingrained in Philippine history and culture.

In a research paper, Batalla noted that corruption will persist in this part of the globe if no radical solutions are formulated.

"Systematic corruption will persist in the country because it has been deeply imbedded in the nation's history, culture and public and private sector institutions," he said. "The fight against corruption requires some radical, less idealistic but manageable solutions."

Batalla's paper entitled "De-institutionalizing Corruption in the Philippines," which he presented in a recently concluded conference on combating corruption, does James Fallows' "damaged culture" thesis one better by tracing corrupt practices in the country to as far back as the 17th century when the Philippines was still a Spanish colony.

The paper assessed corruption and presented "institutional strategies" to fight it. It also examined in detail some forms of corruption, particularly in the construction of road projects by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Batalla said corruption, which the United Nations Development Program defines as the misuse or abuse of public office for private gain, comes in several forms. It involves members of the private and public sectors, and shows its face in a wide array of illicit behavior such as bribery, extortion, fraud, nepotism, graft, pilferage, embezzlement, falsification of records, influence-peddling and contributions to election campaigns.

The losses caused by corruption cannot be precisely estimated. Batalla said the Office of the Ombudsman has calculated that about P100 million is lost daily to corrupt practices in government since 1998. This put the total losses to about P1.4 trillion in the past two years.

Batalla pointed out that corruption can either be petty or grand, spontaneous or institutionalized (systemic).

"When corrupt behaviors are perennially extensive or pervasive, it can be said that it has been institutionalized," he explained. "This type of corruption has become a way of life, a goal, an outlook towards the public office."

Corruption in history

Batalla's research uncovered that corruption in the country is as old as its known history.

In the 1600s, when the country was colonized by Spain, traces of corruption were already present.

Batalla noted that sometime during that century, Spanish royal orders imposing an immigration quota on Chinese people were not strictly implemented as Chinese men were encouraged by officials to pay for a residence permit that would allow them to stay in the country. The fees, he said, went to the officials' pockets.

The American occupation also failed to eradicate corruption. Batalla uncovered the case of Philippine National Bank which faced solvency problems less than five years after its establishment in 1917. He said the bank gave out "easy loans" to landed families favored by its directors which were never paid back.

An accounting firm reported in 1921 that the bank had squandered the entire capital stock contributed by the government. The firm also said that PNB wasted half of all government deposits.

Batalla said corruption continued to flourish as the government took the lead in promoting economic growth.

"The growth of government as leader, large-scale development promoter and employer laid the ground for massive and systemic corruption," he said.

He noted that corruption reached its peak during the reign of dictator Ferdinand Marcos because the government's powers wholly resided in him.

"Eventually, crony capitalism reached its zenith with the centralization of political power and the realignment of concentrated economic power from the old elites to favored associates," he said.

However, Batalla said that Marcos' ouster did not end corruption. On the other hand, it allowed the practice to flourish even more.

"With the return of democracy, there is a perception that the floodgates of corruption have been opened. The vacuum left by Marcos has been filled and even widened," he stressed.

The government, though, has attempted to rid itself of corruption since 50 years ago. From President Elpidio Quirino to President Estrada, the country's chief executives have created agencies to tackle graft and investigate corrupt officials.

Yet these agencies, except the six-year-old Presidential Commission Against Graft and Corruption, were all short-lived.

The most recent presidential agency in charge of dealing with corruption is the Inter-agency Anti-Graft Coordinating Council which includes the Commission on Audit, the Civil Service Commission, the Office of the Ombudsman, the National Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Justice. Established in 1997, it was given presidential recognition only in August last year.

Batalla urged the government to involve the private sector in the fight against corruption. He said a non-government agency similar to the Concerned Citizens for Good Government in Abra should be replicated on a national scale.

He also suggested that the capability of the Ombudsman in going after corrupt officials be expanded and students in public and private schools be educated against corruption.

"We should teach the youth not to be corrupt," he stressed.

Batalla prodded the government to be "committed" in this "monumental task" of wiping out corruption. "A national commitment should be visible, enunciated and directed while allowing local initiatives to take place," he said.

And lastly, the professor pointed out that the country should build organizations that promote professionalism not only in private but more importantly in the public sector.

"Through the promotion of professional ethics, we can contribute to the breaking of this vicious cycle that perpetuates corruption and poverty," he stressed.