As anybody reading this likely knows, the Philippines has a new President, Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino. Today, June 30, Noynoy will take the Oath of Office and officially become the new President of the Philippines. One of President Aquino’s big campaign promises was that he was going to put an end to corruption in the Philippine Government.
Do you think that President Noynoy reads LiP? Well, you never know, he might just read the Live in the Philippine Web Magazine to keep abreast of what is going on in the Expat Community here in the Philippines! Who knows, maybe he checks LiP for advice on how to tackle problems? Ha ha. I doubt it, but just in case, today, I want to offer my plan to end corruption in the Philippines! If you read this, President Aquino, congratulations to you, and good luck in the coming 6 years, I hope that you enjoy many successes.
MindanaoBob’s plan to end corruption in the Philippines
There is no topic on LiP that gets people more worked up than corruption in the Philippines. On topics that even seem far removed from the topic of corruption, many readers always raise the corruption issue in their comments here. Not enough tourism in the Philippines? It must be because of the corruption! The stores are always out of stock on basic goods? Corruption strikes again! Corruption seems to always be the blame, regardless of the question.
Well, as I have pointed out in replies to comments many times, corruption is not really something that affects my life directly. I have never paid a bribe here, nor have I even been asked for one. That said, there is no doubt that corruption exists, both in the government and in the private sector. All you have to do is watch the news, or listen to people tell of their experiences, and you will know that corruption is a big problem here.
The problem is, how do you stop it? Stopping it will not be easy, and in my opinion it cannot be accomplished in a 6 year term in office for the new President. Of course, he can get a start on it, but completing the task will be a tall, tall order for President Noynoy.
There are lots of forms of corruption, but probably the biggest is in the form of paying or receiving bribes. Yes, the person paying the bribe is also corrupt! One way to end corruption would be for every person to refuse to pay a bribe for anything. Frankly, though, that won’t happen, so there must be measures to make that happen, and also to stop officials from asking for or demanding bribes. How do you do it?
Well, my plan would cost money, and would really throw an upheaval into many lives, particularly of government workers. Corruption rears it’s head from the highest levels of any government agency, right down to the more “regular” employees like clerks and such. That’s why a change must be implemented to shake up government agencies at all levels.
My first piece of advice to President Aquino is to shake up the employment at every office of every government agency. So, for example, at the Immigration Bureau (or any other agency office) here in Davao City, transfer each and every employee to an Immigration Bureau office in a different city. No two employees from the Davao office would go to the same office in any city in the Philippines. Do the same at every other Immigration office in the country. This way, every office has an entire group of new employees. One of the problems with having a group of employees who have worked together for years is that they are too comfortable with each other. If one employee is engaging in corruption, taking bribes or whatever, other employees may not “tell on them” because they are friends of many years. Also, these networks of employees who are friends may have corruption schemes in which they work together and share the proceeds. So, by separating every single employee and sending them to different offices around the country, you are breaking up rings of people who may have a tendency toward corruption.
Next step, choose maybe 10% of existing office employees in each government office who are “secret corruption czars”. Pay them double the salary that they normally get. It is now their duty to do their regular job, but also to watch for corruption and report it. If they do not report corruption they are fired. Nobody can reveal who the “secret or undercover czars” are, so every employee will never know for sure who is watching them. Ten percent of the employees in each office will be on the lookout for corrupt practices, and will report any suspicion of corruption to a higher authority outside the office.
Start a big TV, Print and radio campaign telling businessmen and “regular” citizens to report any attempted corruption. If you are asked for a bribe, you should report it to a new, special anti-corruption bureau that will keep your name secret and prosecute the corrupt official. If you are asked for a bribe and do not report it, and that is later found out, you face a prison term. If you are a businessman and you have bid on a project to do work for the government, if it is later learned that you have paid a bribe to get the contract, you must complete the work and will be paid only half the contract amount, less the bribe amount. So, for example, if the contract amount for the job is P10M, and you paid the commissioner a P1M bribe to get the contract, you could end up having to do the work for P4M (half of P10M, less the P1M bribe amount, thus P4M). If the work you do is of substandard quality, there will be fines and also jail time.
If you are an upper level government employee, either in Manila, or in regional or city offices, in more of a “management” type position of authority, before you are given the job, you must give a list of 10 assets that you own which will basically be collateral in the case that you are caught in a corruption scheme. For example, you might list your car, house, or whatever. The reason is that many corrupt people will put their assets into other people’s names in order to avoid those assets being seized. For example, the house is in the wife’s name, the car is in the brother’s name, or whatever. In such cases, a person is basically “judgment proof” in that even if he loses a judgment in court, he has no assets to be seized. When you issue a list of assets that you actually own, you can then be given the job. If later you are caught with your “hand in the cookie jar” some or all of those assets will be seized. If, during your time on the job, you sell or change the title on any of the assets you listed, you must replace those assets on the list with assets of similar value. If you have no assets you cannot have the job in question. In case you are found guilty of a corruption charge, you will forfeit assets equivalent to double the value of the corruption that you committed. So, if you are found to have taken bribes amounting to P20M, you must now forfeit assets with a value of P40M. Of course, there will be jail time too.
If you are a private citizen or businessman, and a government official has demanded a bribe, and you report the attempt to the special office that I mentioned earlier, if that official is convicted of the bribery attempt and must surrender his assets, as I said in the previous paragraph, you will receive a reward equal to the amount of the bribe that was requested. So, for example, if a contractor is to build a road that costs P50M, and the government official asks for a bribe of P2M, if you reported that bribe request and the man is convicted, he will have to forfeit P4M in assets to the Government. You will get P2M worth of those assets as a reward.
If you are a government employee and a businessman attempts to bribe you, you should also report him to the anti-corruption office. If the businessman is convicted of the attempted bribe, he will also be forced to forfeit assets, and you, as the employee who reported him will also be eligible for a reward in the case.
So, under this system, government workers will be watching each other. Businessmen and citizens will be watching the government employees. Government workers will be watching businessmen. Everybody will be keeping an eye out.
Is the system perfect? I’m sure it’s not. False reports could happen. Other bad things might occur. But, something has to be done to start the ball rolling. This is my simple plan. I am sure that President Aquino will have his own plan on how to attack the problem, and I wish him luck! How about you, do you have a plan?
My opinion? Change some of the Philippine laws. The few that I am referring to have to do with importation of household goods and customs. I would much rather pay them a few extra pesos under the table and get my stuff here then be charged their VAT and other tax fees. That goes for other laws as well like getting your motorcycle or diesel engine thru DEQ. Who ever heard of such a thing? Or needing to go to 4 different people to get a new sticker for the year.. Just my thoughts….
President Aquino if you read this, I wish you the best of luck and our prayers are with you….
Hi Travis – Wow… I hear a lot of people participating on this site complain about too much corruption in the Philippines, yet you are saying that you want to participate in additional corruption! When you say that you would rather pay money under the table, well that is corruption.
You can import your stuff tax free if you obtain a resident visa to live here. I moved here in 2000 with two containers full of my belongings, and did not pay a single peso in taxes. BTW, there is no VAT on bringing your stuff in regardless of your Visa. VAT is Value Added Tax, and applies when you do something that adds value to the item. It is similar to a sales tax, but added at each step of the manufacturing process. The amount of VAT on importing your goods is ZERO. There are other taxes like customs fees and such that you may need to pay if you don’t qualify for a resident visa, but there is no VAT.
I own two vehicles and we have to renew and get a new sticker every year. I have never dealt with more than 1 person at the LTO to do this, though.
Anyway, thank you for sharing your comment.
Thats good Bob that you only dealt with one person at the LTO ,for me i had to get my car emission test ,then reinspected ,before i could be issused my new stickers.This is every year here in Cebu.as i am told.
Hi Maynard – Ok… we are talking about two different things here, my friend. The emission testing is done by a private company, not the LTO itself. So, of course, I, like you, must go have emission testing done, and talk to the person there.
Bob, you may have misread Travis Shore’s comment. I think he was saying, if you reduce the VAT and duties on imports, he would not feel motivated to “pay a few pesos” to get them in VAT and duty free.
Also, can you check with your sources about VAT on imports. Typically, VAT refers to VAT within the country. Since imports have no domestic value added until they are impoted, VAT is charged on the ENTIRE cost of the import, plus transportation (CIF), and duty. If this were not done, then imported goods would have a heavy advantage over domestic products since they would not be charged VAT while domestically produced goods would be. Maybe you are generalizing from your experience as a resident when you entered the country the first time.
Hi Don – Sorry, my friend, I just re-read Travis Shore’s comment, and I believe it is you who misread it. He specifically said that he would “rather pay extra money under the table than pay taxes on the stuff he imports”. The way I read that, he would rather pay a bribe than follow the law.
Now, Don, perhaps VAT is charged on imported good, I don’t doubt that at all, nor did I argue that it is not. However, on an immigrant importing his household belongings, there is no tax of any kind charged for that, provided that a proper visa is acquired. For 13 Series Resident Visas, SRRV or even Balikbayans the amount of tax charged is ZERO, including VAT. That, my friend, is the law. I brought in my stuff under this law, and I know how it works. I did not pay even one peso in taxes, nor a peso in bribes either.
Let me just reiterate, I agree that VAT is charged on imported PRODUCTS. On imported household goods for an Immigrant, though, provided the proper visa is obtained, there is ZERO tax of any kind.
Bob, when we came to the Philippines one of the items in our container was a scooter – the type a child uses – stands on it with one foot and pushes with the other. We ended up with Customs and the PNP freaking out and searching high and low in our container for motorized scooter – they thought we were trying to smuggle one it. I think there were a few red faces and sighs of “lost opportunities”.
Hi Steven – Yes, customs people really inspected my containers too looking for cars, trucks, motorcycles or any kind of vehicle. I suppose they were only doing their job, as such items are not allowed, unless a high tax is paid.
Hi bob!
Do you remember my wife and I were in Davao and had feyma shownus around properties in samal?
Well I wanted to contribute my opinion to the person complaining about VAT…
My godson and I went to shakeys pizza at Victoria plaza and on a p380 bill the vat was over p50!
That’s 12% but does the Philippines even have a proper annual income tax? Living in Mexico there was no personal income tax but high dollar items were taxed.
So does the average worker making p225 a day have a “westernized” tax?
And if not, would this possibly cut down on the vat and maybe cut down on people trying to beat the system?
Honestly, we could send pretty much ANYTHING from the USA to Philippines in a balikbayan box and in fifteen years the customs has NEVER opened one of then. We could send nothing but brand new high end laptops and pay no duty.
So maybe this is what the poster was referring to.
Two wrongs dont make a right but the average pinoy may simply not care…
Hi Steven – Sure, I remember, and I know who you are! Feyma enjoyed seeing you and your wife! Hey.. I thought we were going to get together! Did you already leave Davao?
Yes, VAT is 12% here, and it is on basically everything. There are a few exceptions, but generally that is correct.
Yes I was pretty shocked to see household goods as the first issue raised … the law here seems pretty liberal ) if you follow it … i.e., the proper paperwork first) and I shipped in everything I wanted to ship with no hassles and absolutely no bribe.
“Paying money under the table” is the number one reason bribery exists … in any country. A primary step President Aquino could think of is enforce both sides of the law. It is already illegal to accept a bribe or make a bribe in government service.
I can’t even count how many times I have seen congressmen or others in power report on TV, long after the fact, that someone offered them a bribe.
Well, the should have reported that offer then and there … the fact that they didn’t makes them guilty of a crime as well. The fact that the news media, always so eager to muck-rake and dramatize issues never seems to point this out. I know I sure wouldn’t report a criminal act I was part of on national TV
We have more than enough laws Mr. President, we just need them ENFORCED. The government already has “life style” checks and many other reporting programs along the lines of what Bob mentioned in place … you just need to impress upon those in charge of the police and other government agencies that YOU, personally, expect the laws we have to be followed.
No one man is going to solve all the issues in 6 years … but take my word for it, sir, YOU have the power to do way, way more than you think you can. And now, on the first day of your administration, you will never have power to lead the way … carpe’ diem.
I know I join with many other non-Filipino residents in wishing you great success in your coming term. Godspeed, sir.
Hi Dave – When it comes to shipping in my goods, my experience was certainly the same of yours – free, and hassle free. No bribes… no taxes… nothing. Paying money under the table is just what this is all about, no reason to increase the corruption problem, especially when you are dealing with a process that is hassle free and bribe free already!
Anyway, I join you in withing P-Noy (that’s the “nickname” that President Aquion has chosen for himself – President Noynoy, or P-Noy for short) all the success he can muster!
Hi Bob – Well, after nearly 500 years, “corruption” has become innate here in the islands. Originally, it was a legal method to expedite and increase productivity used by the Spanish colonizers. Once the importance of the silver Mexican Peso and the need to amass them was realized by the early pinoys and mestizos, “whatever works” became a bad habit harder to break than smoking.
I wouldn’t focus too much on the “peso/sentimo” bribes on the low level – there’d be no effect felt by the general public if all such low-level corruption disappeared tomorrow. Focus needs to be on the “skimmers” and others dealing in millions of pesos. Too, similar focus needs to be assigned to their friends in the various branches of the government. There’s nothing that says “it’s okay” more than a “Big Name” either remaining free because of technicalities or lack of “proper evidence as defined by this official or that legislator.”
Then again, I have to politically “go along to get along,” if you know what I mean. 😉
Hi Paul – Personally, I believe that if one wants to stop corruption, it must be attacked at all levels, from petty bribes to the big boys.
Agree with that fully Bob. It starts at the barangay level. It starts in grade school. Wonder why more Filipinos (and foreigners) don’t read that “12 Little Things” book I profiled on my blog … the Filipino author definitely had it right, it has to start with teaching your children to respect the law, big change flows upward from there.
Hi Dave – Good morning to you, sir! You know, I really should have mentioned that little guide book that you wrote about last year, but I completely forgot. I do fully agree that a good place to start is to teach the kids in school that corruption is against the law and to simply follow the laws of the Republic.
Hi Paul- I have to disagree with your thoughts on the low level people as the number of people taking bribes in this category when tallied amount to millions per annum. Accepting bribes results in inflation and low productivity and requires to be stamped out at whatever level.
China has a soloution…………Firing Squad for the culprits at senior level.
Regards.
Jim.
Hi Jim – I agree with you. If you just “let it go” at the lower level, it sets a bad example, and corruption at lower levels would probably grow more and more!
Bob;
Once corruption is unmasked, someone must take action. Example: I bought 1993 Mitts. RVR-X from a local guy here in Bataan. It was an import for auction from Japan. No import fee was paid by the 1st person who owned it, yet it passed through customs with all its paperwork intact. Next the tag was issued by the LTO. Person no. 2 bought it and drove it 4 months and sold it to me. The car had now been reregistered 3 times with no red flags. Alas I drove it for 3 years and was then informed it was a smuggled car. But if I paid the customs duty I could keep it. (P 180,000.00 duty)
They had the name of the 1st owner, and the name of the customs agent whose name was on the original paperwork, and the name of the LOT man who issued the tag. A clear cut legal, case for prosecution of corruption.
I informed the customs office that I am hiring a prosecutor to file charges against the 3 parties involved. They said it would cost a lot of money, and I smiled, then I’ll use the P 180,000.00 they were going to charge me. The case against me was dropped, and I sold the car (at a loss) to a shady car dealer and told him about my problem, he paid me and smiled. (I was more careful when buying the next car.)
Hi Paul – What a great story about your ordeal with the smuggled car! If more people would do like what you did instead of just paying the bribe, the Philippines would improve drastically.
Bob;
I didn’t pay the bribe, but the corruption keeps perpetuating itself due to the lack of will to enforce, their laws. Not that our politicians in the U.S., are any less corrupt, they just have a legal name attached called campaign contributions. The one thing I’ll give to the U.S., is the lack of low level corruption. I have yet, to pay a bribe in the Philippines, but if I really, really had to… ???
Hi Paul – I agree, the “campaign contribution” is just the same as bribery here.
Hi Bob: Your advice and suggestions to end corruption are good and noble. As i see it the problem in P.I. is the same as in Mexico, Central America, and most of South America, where the Spaniards left there mark and legacy. It is true that the practice of greasing the palm is so ingrained in the minds and life of the people, it’s eradication is next to impossible. However corruption is everywhere (the Western world included) where it is usually hidden from the masses by devious and cynical politicians, and corporate conglomerates. At least here it is out in the open, and we know it for what it is. The best of luck to President Aquino.
Hi Roberto – Full agreement here that corruption is everywhere in the world, not just here!
One problem with your plan Bob is that it excludes poor people from management positions per policy.
Ultimately this is not about ending corruption, it’s about changing culture.
Hi Gary – For my plan to “exclude” poor people, that would mean that poor people need to be serving in high Government positions now. Do you think they are? Pretty much, Gary, poor folks are already excluded from serving in such positions. Also, if you have worked your way up to such a position, you are no longer poor anyway, because you have earned a good government salary in each of the positions that are stepping stones to such a “high position” that I mentioned.
As I said.. do I think my plan is perfect? No. Do you have a plan that we could consider?
Are poor people excluded today? Yes, but not by policy.
I don’t have a plan. In fact, I view it as a cultural thing wouldn’t be so bold to offer one. I’m not even sure it’s possible to 180 a system that has evolved over such a long time. And if you could, would the new system be better in practice?
I know a lot of people hate corruption, but it’s ingrained in the system. Some of those same people who may think they hate it, know how to use the system and may not actually like things if the system were to change.
It’s a very bold prospect, and my hats off to Aquino if he’s really serious and committed. I’m personally more aligned with Paul’s comment, the real damage is at the top levels. The “enforcement costs per bribe” would be high at the low levels, if you police only the low and middle levels there will be real resentment, and ultimately cultural change flows from the top.
Hi Gary – Well, I think that the chances of my plan being implemented are pretty much less than ZERO, so we don’t have much to worry about! 😆
I always believe that laws should be enforced on all levels, though.
You’re probably right about the plan – it’s interesting and ambitious though. I’m not positive I can fully embrace your last sentence – there are so many laws on the books (RP, US, etc) that I’m sure we’re breaking some right now and may not even know it :-\
On that last line.. what I was talking about was that I think that letting the small level corruption go unchallenged is not a good idea.
K.I.S.S. …if you get caught taking a bribe you lose your job and are banned for life from having any public service job.
KISS always seems to work, doesn’t it? Not a bad idea!
death penalty for all who participate. That would cure it fast.. Harsh yes, fair no, I don’t care I’m not the president lol.
I was actually think of putting that in my policy, jack! 😉
Bob, you fascist you! LOL
Tell how many million employees that they have to move? What if husband & wife work for different gov. departments? Does this include teachers?… Because, if I could send my sister-in-law to the other end of the Philippines before I return to Davao, I’d support that.
My buddy, Anders, and I spent a lot of time sitting on the beach & coming up with ideas to end corruption in The RP, after a city clerk wouldn’t return my wife’s and my original marriage certificate, because I wouldn’t pay an “express fee”. In the end, we figured that wages had to be raised, significantly, before people could be encouraged to stop accepting bribes. Mind you, when I first arrived in Manila Intl.(Ninoy Aquino), I placed a US $10 bill in my passport & the immigration officer took it out, handed it back and said, “No, thank you. We don’t do that here.”
More importantly, Bob, how do you manage to not pay bribes? Was Feyma comfortable with you refusing to, at the beginning? I would have been willing to never pay bribes, but my wife always wimped out & – not speaking the language – I’d gullibly hand over the amount my wife told me to. (ha-ha) Anyway, my ultimate goal in The RP will be to never have to go to a government office. Fat chance, huh?
Hi Mike – I have told the story many times on this site, including in a comment less than a week ago, but I suppose you missed it. In 1992 when my wife and I came to the Philippines, I, under the advice of a Filipino in the States, put a $20 in my passport to help “ease things” at Customs in NAIA. Because of the attempted bribe, I was flagged for additional inspection, and the $20 was refused. Ever since then, both Feyma and I have never attempted to pay a bribe again. She is as much against it as I am. We have never been asked for a bribe, and have never offered one again.
Wow! Between jeepney licensing, marine vessel inspections & property dvelopment, we have been hit many times, sometimes for something as simple as avoiding having to queue for a stamp. My wife said that she noticed an improvement when she was there last summer, however.
That’s true, Mike. I believe, from your previous writings here, that your experience here was in the early 90’s. A lot has changed here in that time.
Nice ideas as usual Bob! Even though they are quite controversial, hehe! But you can’t go with the flow if you want to stop the river.
Another practicable thing I liked, that costs (almost) nothing. is what the Government in India came up with to stem corruption. They printed 0-Rupee (Zero-Rupee) notes and gave them out for free (or even printed them in newspapers). So every time some government official asks you a bribe, you just refuse and simply hand him a 0-Rupee note. That doesn’t cost anything and it will make him think about his actions and in a more subtle way appeal to his conscience that he is doing something wrong. So he can rethink without the loss of face to become a better person and help to bring the country forward.
It sounds like nothing much, but the Indians seem to have quite some success with it. 😉
Hi Chris – Thanks for sharing that about the “Zero” Rupee note! I like that idea, and had never heard of it before. It makes a statement!
Here is a link with some more info about the Zero-Rupiah note. Seems really like a cheap yet effective way to change mindsets. Maybe something similar can work for Pinas also?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/7137567/India-issues-zero-rupee-banknotes.html
Thanks for sharing that, Chris! I do think that is an excellent and unique idea.
While I have not paid a bribe in the exact sense, I have on many, many, many occasions contacted friends or “friends of friends” to handle a lot of my stuff. In fact almost everything. I have quickly realized the more friends you have in power, the easier your life is. I mention this because while it is not a “bribe”, what I do contributes to the corruption in the system. Hypothetically, if I go into the LTO, it should not matter who I know. I should sit in the hot room with everyone and wait my turn like everyone else.
Quickest way (and almost impossible solution) to fix the system is to pay the employees a living wage. I cannot bribe a police officer or a DMV worker in the US because no one is going to risk their job for a paltry amount of money. Here, almost everyone will. Plus, there is no reason to. Often times the reason for extra money is to expedite something, not necessarily do something illegal. Someone told me once that the reason so many police officers will accept coffee money is because, “you can’t eat medals.” Too often a great worker who takes no bribes and is recognized for being an awesome employee gets some medals, some certificates of a job well done but that’s it. It won’t feed your family. I do not entirely fault the workers taking the money.
While there is corruption anywhere, it is so conspicuous here because it is not only big business. Almost everyone plays the game, myself included.
BTW–I too have gotten scolded for money in a passport. I had my P750 for departure in my passport holder. The counter guy knew it was for my departure fee but reminded me not to keep it there as it could be misconstrued.
Hi Kikas_Head – Without a doubt, using friends as intermediaries is the way things work here, and I have done that myself. Hmm… is that corruption? I have not thought of it in that sense in the past. It’s something I will have to consider. Coffee money… snack money.. yes, I have paid that, but we are talking about very small sums on that, and I would not consider that a bribe, personally. You have given me some things to consider.
Bob;
I’ll have to ponder also on that “Friends” situation. Last month and for the past 11 years, my wife’s old classmate shoots us through the LTO with lightning speed, we even get to sit in the air/con office while it’s processing.
Today I’m renewing my driver’s license, and there also, we have a good friend who comes out and takes my paperwork, after the medical (wish I had a friend there) and I’ll speed through that also, as my wife called her yesterday, and she knows we’re coming. Is that corruption? I’m still not sure.
Corruption, Paul? Heck, that’s convenience! 😉
All fair points Bob. You do well to point out that the person offering the bribe is also corrupt. They often don’t realise that, and it comes as a surprise when it’s pointed out. I don’t think your plan for the immigration office would work out though, since if they employ 10000 people, they would need 10000 offices too.
Another disincentive I would introduce would be a minimum 75 year prison sentence for being convicted of corruption! Corrupt? Caught? Your life is over, goodbye!
Unfortunately, it is endemic in Philippine society. As a case in point, I am meeting and hearing of Filipino’s here in Australia. They want a driving licence, but you have to take a minimum number of lessons and pass written and practical tests, which takes time and costs money. The solution? Get a fake Philippine driving licence from the Phils…apparently only $100 US and very easily obtainable, then exchange it for a full Australian driving licence here. No need for lessons or any of that first world nonsense. Just learn to drive as you go…maybe get a few lessons from your friend etc. Is that corruption….imho, of course it is! But can you convince them of that?..no way!
My arithmetic is nonsense! If they employed 300 in the biggest office though, they would need 300 offices, perhaps closer to being possible. Sorry, too late in the evening for quick mental calculations like that. 🙂
Hi Jim – In a fairly large Immigration office like Davao, I’d be surprised if they had more than 30 employees, my feeling would be less than that. Certainly not 100. Maybe at the headquarters in Manila they would have a few hundred, so some kind of work around would be needed on that.
On that drivers license, I think you’d be surprised. You can get a fake license for a lot less than $100 US.. you could probably get ten licenses for that price! 😉
Hi Bob,
Mmmm….some of the suggestions here, if put forward by some well meaning insider, will be a career limiting move.
I suggested once to a local bureaucrat, why not limit the use of cash in government transactions. For example, no direct cash transfers to lgu’s (e.g. baranggay captain, governors etc) but give them ATM cards or Credit cards to pay off their expenses, or just send it back to their provincial treasurers with proper documentation to off with govt cheque. For the public, how about allowing them to use debit cards to pay their government bills, taxes at banks or govt offices, and avoid the fixers. The late Senator Roco switched the teacher’s payroll to direct deposit. That killed the business for the insiders who were dipping into the cash payroll for all sorts of “deductions.”
My insider contact said, that will kill someone’s political career. Since Pres Aquino’s career is already limited (1 term only) he can automate as much of govt financial transactions. He benefited from automated election, I’m sure he will smell very sweet with this one just as Sen Roco did with the teachers.
Hi Alex – If P-Noy wants to do what he says he wants to do (eliminate corruption in 6 years or less) he will have to make a lot of career limiting moves! 😉
#1 Solution to eradicate corruption in the Philippines is to start fresh; kill all Filipinos who are 13 years old and above. Then hire foreigners who will mentor and instill good moral values to the orphaned children. That’s the only way…
lol Gee, I hope that’s tongue-in-cheek!
I haven’t been to a country, yet, where some form of corruption doesn’t exist, usually connected to government dealings. My own country has it’s issues & seems to be becoming more corrupt with each passing decade. Atong, I think we’d have to kill everyone in the world that is over the age of 13, or the kids in the RP would be screwed over by bullying nations!
Corruption in PI is part of the culture, it starts from the grassroots level…LOL
Ha ha… Atong.. I thought my plan was radical! Yours makes mine look like baby steps!
Bob
Don’t think I support the whole Bribe thing but I think the whole idea of eliminating the bribes is pretty much a nice goal but I don’t think it is realistic. Bribes can take so many different forms other than monies passed from hand to hand. You do me a favor I do you a favor or I send some work your way, maybe I get you a interview for a job position. It kind of sounds like “Networking”
If all bribes were done by passing money from hand 2 hand it would be easier to catch the culprits and punish them accordingly but I think the whole Bribery system is too intricate.
I agree that rooting out all bribes would be very difficult, maybe impossible. For me, though, that doesn’t mean that an effort should not be made.
Bob
I agree also, if no one starts to combat Bribery then no changes will ever happen.
Maybe like you stated in your Battle Plan if a Massive TV Billboard campaign by High level Officials started the Anti Coruption Campaign then it would have some sense of being a genuine attempt at rooting out corruption that would start a trickle down effect.
Its just a massive task to undertake.
Hi Neal – No doubt that it will be a huge undertaking, and probably take generations in order to make much headway.
I like your plan Sir Bob, it is very sound and makes a lot of sense. A first step.
Secondly, gear towards a cashless payroll society, it makes it so much harder to cheat.
Thirdly, the powerful families ( the 100 or so) that actually run the country need to be broken down. Break up their power base. Delete the “jobs for the boys” or “jobs for the family” system. Does anyone believe we have seen the end of GMA and her cronies, no she was just demoted. Check out this article it maybe of interest to you. All one line.
http://ph.beta.promo.yahoo.com/purple-thumb/editors-log-article?blogid=editors_log&postid=327&viewPost=1
Also, step up the Christian and formal education of ALL the people. Teach them to think critically and not the current memorising system they have now. Remove the tax off imported books, which clown thought of that tax?
Teach the people the difference between what is right and wrong, at the moment the country is suffering from ” forgive them, for they know not what they do”.
Hi Boss – You have a few more ideas to think about there…. we’ll see what P-Noy does!
As much as governments like to collect taxes, how many pay taxes on the bribes they receive?
That’s true, Paul. Problem is, those boys who get the bribes like them better than the taxes! 😆
Corruption in the Philippines will not be stopped until a cultural attitude change is made within ALL the people. It amazes me how Filipinos constantly complain about the politicians being corrupt, but they themself will pay a bribe to get faster services or something the law does not permit. Corruption is corruption no matter who does it or how big/small it may be. When children see their parents pay a bribe to a Traffic Enforcer that instills in them the idea some corruption is okay and it is not.
There are many laws already on the books to govern corruption, but the main problem is those laws are not enforced and until they are enforced corrution will continue.
I do not think moving government employees around will help. It may stop someone for a short time, but it would not take long for the new employees to get comfortable with one another and begin old practices to make extra money. Corruption has become the bonus program for government employees and is acceptable among the rank and file.
I was amused at the editorial page of a Manila newspaper the other day. The writer of the piece said that Aquino was including Relgious Catholics to his administration and this certainly demonstrate his interest in stopping corruption. He praised the appointment of a Brother from LaSalle University to head the education agency. When the Brother announced his being offered the position he said, “I must get permission from my Superior before I can accept any such offer.”
Yes, he had to get permission before he accepted the position and he will need his permission before he takes any action as Education Secretary – HE HAS TAKEN A VOW OF OBEDIENCE TO HIS SUPERIOR AND CATHOLIC HIERARCHY. The Brother has not ask to be released from his vows and he plans to return when his stint in government is over. He will either honor his oath of office to the people of the Philippines or he will honor his vow to God and the Catholic Church, but there will be times when he cannot do both. In my eyes it is corrupt for any man to take such a position knowing he cannot be true to both all the time.
This particular brother is a leader in the move to stop the Reproductive Bill and he does not favor any type of sex education other than that offered by parents, although he says he will be fair in evaluating the program. This Brother led the move in the Catholic Churches ban on stopping the use of condoms, even call for a ban onselling condoms in the Philippines and has stated they are NOT at all effective in stopping the spread of HIV/AIDS and that simply is not true.
It is naive for Filipinos to think that a persons title or the fact he holds a position in the church means he must be above corruption, but the majority of the Filipinos revere the men and women of the church so much in the Philippines they unfortuanately belive that.
How do you stop corruption? It starts in the home with the parents. How long will it take before you see a real difference – at least a generation if not more. President Aquino III can start the ball rolling, but by no means is it possible for him to cross the goal line and end corruption in six years.
What is the best thing he can do at the moment – issues an Executive Order or have Congress pass a bill for him to sign that will give large rewards to those that report and produce proof of corruption so people participating in corruption can be proscecuted. He can make sure his administration punishes everyone regardless of name or title that participates in corruption including those those land barrons that refuse to turn land promised to the farmers by the 1987 Constitutuion over to them. That would require him to punish members of his family.
Hi Tom – I agree with you that change will take generations to happen, if it happens at all. You certainly have plenty of good points to ponder here.
I like most of what you shared in your response to the article.
As for me, towards my experience on encountering corruption it was when i made my first visit to the Philippines. The immigration officer asked me for US dollars instead of pesos and he went back to reading his paper as if i was never there. For those of you who never encountered this you are both blessed and cursed. Blessed because it did not happen, cursed because if you do not bring attention to the matters at hand — “As much as a person can be held liable for what he does, at the same time he can be held liable for what he does not do. When a person is being assaulted on the street by a group of thugs in plain sight and no one does anything to stop it, all are guilty.” —- Mark Glenn
The very quote above is what happen to me on my first stamp, everyone saw the officer asking for US dollars and told me to just pay it which made them just as guilty for allowing the corruption…to pay in pesos would of been the right thing and worst thing is he wrote the receipt by hand not through a machine. I still have that receipt to this day back at home in my country.
As for moving officers around sounds good but also it has a bad ring to it as well. The question is “would you want to have to be transferred all the time?” Sometimes officers staying in one place will help us know them more and make them more accountable. If the officers get to transfer they could use their scams on another offices while those who might replace them in the old office could be blamed for work the last officer did.
Another thing is they need to stop making new laws and stop allowing the laws to first and foremost protect them when a government worker’s task is to first and foremost respect the Constitution and serve the people with utmost honesty…Article 11. — “There is no question that the Constitution is the supreme law of the land of which all other laws must conform.” – Malcom “Philippines Conational Law” — found within the book entitled “Adminavive Law Simplified” page 48
Also, if an officer, or office, sends letters to Manila both sides must always be heard out if an officer is sending a complaint or if we the people send complaints otherwise — “…pronouncing judgment after hearing only one of the parties; it is sterring a ship without reckoning its condition, the state of the sea, the reefs and shoals, the direction of the winds and current. It is managing a house by endeavoring merely to give it polish and a fine appearance without watching the money chest, without looking after the servants and the members of the family.” pg 378 by G. F. Zaide 2nd edition
One other greater matter is education. I do not mean to sound insulting to Filipinos because in my country, the USA, i admire your people and respect their hard work and even had a Filipino doctor from the age of two up, but here within the Philippines, when they assist foreigners, they neglect their duty in properly explaining things as Article 3 grants us the right to information and when they do explain they utter forth “just fallow the system” without explaining it OR “I am too busy to entertain you” when true to entertain they are busy because they are working but to ASSIST, Article 11 Sections 1, they are REQUIRED with no acceptations. So, even though both sides might have confusion it is wise for them to clarify to the client what is being asked and if they understand before ending the transaction.
Although English is my first language, and i will even admit that i am not an English major, for even the best of us still need proof readers when we write books, such as law workers even need to be correct for “…not even the most erudite lawyer or judge can know all the law…”. —“Legal Profession” by Jorge R. Coquia published through REX
But one thing that really gets me is the vocabulary I am now paying more attention to and I have even asked Filipino English teachers at colleges to clarify some questions for me so i can avoid sounding bias and thankfully I have one teacher who will be assisting me in a book I am planing to write which I am entitling F.O.C.U.S. at this present time until the publisher wishes it to be some other title.
Thanks to the many Filipino authors I purchased such as:
1)Alexander L. Laacsom “12 Little Things”
2)Bible Commentary on Ezra & Nehemiah by Asia Theological Association – purchase at an OMF store near you
3) Fighting Corruption by Dr. Raymundo Julio A. Olaguer
4) The Other Philippine History Textbook 2 vol set by Christine L. Diaz
5) a living Constitution…
6) Hector on the Philippine’s Constitution Commentary
Plus many other books written by the Filipinos of this country which I have enjoyed reading. It was “12 Little Things” that open the door for me to read even more of the books of this/your country.
Awwww, I knew it. When I flirt with a Filipina and she gets mad, its just another conspiracy within the Philippines as I haven’t bribed anyone.
I’ve never been solicited for a bribe.
Back to singing now, “I can’t get no satisfaction.”
Probably need to raise salaries in the Philippines across the board too. People tend to do what they must do, even if they don’t want too.
According to an article in the Inquirer.net, The Bogo City mayor makes less than 9000USD a year. Per that same article, he’s also the wealthiest politician in all of Cebu Province.
Raise all the salaries…. that’s what all the people are saying, or a lot anyway. Where will the money come from? The Philippine Govt is already running heavy deficit spending. They have tons of employees, so raising the salary by an appreciable amount would cost a fortune!
I’m guessing once they stop the corruption there might be less of a deficit. If its as big of a problem as they say, that should fund it.
In any case, unless they pay their employees more they will not stop it. Its not optional. Unless its just more lip service. Call me jaded, I can live with it. LOL
Not sure what bribes or corruption has to do with flirting with a girl? 😆
Obviously Bob….. The girls reject my flirts because I didn’t pay the right love official. You see? Its corruption behind it.
I guess I better make it clear that I’m being sarcastic, not for you, but for the others.
Please post comments under your name, not your website name. I no longer accept comments under a website name.
Oh Geesh, your site, you don’t want me to post here. I wont post here.
Hi Rusty – I do want you to post any comments you wish to share here. I have even invited you to come back and write here, and you know that! I do ask, however, as I do with every person who participates here, that you post comments under your name, not your Website name. You name is not “CebuExperience.com” your name is Rusty. We are a community here, a group of people, not a group of websites. I hope you will participate, but with you and everybody, please just use your name to post here. No problems! Just a simple request.
I still think Sir Bob has a a very strong argument, you have to make the reward for being honest greater than the reward for being corrupt.
Ha ha.. we’ll see what P-Noy does… hopefully better than my plan!
Hi Bob…….There is grate pressur on aney one that has a so called,good job. T0 meney mouths to feed, not enough money to solve their problems. You can’t fix every ones head ache and feed them too, i quit trying. The lack mentors or famley members,to look up to are scarse. We have to keep trying, who else will? God bless the P. H………….
Hi jim – I have something that I always say…. you can’t help everybody. Better to choose a few people to assist and go full steam ahead with them.
Hi bob,
My suggestion is this.. P-Noy should put an independent Anti-corruption personnel in every government offices who report directly to him, and that personnel is where the people can complain on the spot if someone from that government office who would ask for a bribe or accepted a bribe from the people, that anti-corruption personnel must have a power to send the offender directly to a detention cell.
in other words, arrest the offender on spot, put them to detention cell and the due process would come later.
it would be nice if there’s a separate anti-corruption office in every immigration offices, if one of the immigration personnel would attempt to ask money from the foreigner, the foreigner can go to that office and complain on the spot.
what do you think?
Hi dans – I think you have a great plan! No need to limit it to Immigration offices, though… it should be in every Government office!
I believe that the new president,like his mother is an honest person – unfortunately I also think that like his mother he is in a minority – it will take more than an honest president to make a difference.His mother as honest as she was made not the slightest difference to corruption in the country – in my recollection no-one was put on trial for any kind of corruption – the only exception I believe was Imelda who received 6 years but never served it!
Hi Bryan – Time will tell, we’ll see as the years pass if P-Noy is successful.
I posted this in the other article on corruption, but thought some may have missed it.
You all might be interested in a quote from Solita Collas-Monsod, former Dean of the UP Economics Department and PhD economist in yesterday’s Inquirer:
“If the Philippines has lagged behind in growth and in reduction in poverty in all its dimensions, it has not been slow in increasing corruption. On a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 the most corrupt and 10 the least corrupt, the Philippines moved from 3.3 in 1998 to 2.4 in 2009 in Transparency International’s (TI) Corruption Perception Index. . . . .
“The Philippines has also deteriorated (between 1998 and 2008) insofar as five of the six governance indicators published by Governance Matters . . . . voice and accountability, political stability, regulatory quality, rule of law, and control of corruption. the one improvement was in goverment effectiveness.”
The Philippines has had the lowest economic growth rate of any of the ASEAN countries since 19 (with the exception of Brunei whose economy is totally dependent on how much oil/gas is pumped) since 1990 (note the post Marcos era, so can’t blame it all on him). One stat of note: in 1977 thailand and the Philippines had more or less the same level of GDP/capita. Today thailand’s GDP per capita is almost twice that of the Philippines.
Winnie also shows that under previous presidents tthrough Ramos, the absolute number of the poor declined by 700k families. Fron 1997 to 2006 (the latest stats available), the number increased by 900K.
so corruption does matter – and it matters most to the poor.
Considering that the Asian currency crisis hit the Philippines shores in 1997, plus the population growth over the stated period, I find it hard to attribute a 900k increase in poor families simply to corruption.
Does corruption hurt the poor? Of course. So does protectionism, but since those are laws passed by duly elected officials, I guess that’s not corruption.
Well Bob, it seems we are closer in our thinking than I thought. I hope some of my rants in earlier discussions here provided you with a little fodder for this one. I like these ideas, but implementation sounds like a bear! And your “Other bad things might occur.” remark could prove to be ominous. I’m now off to read “Jack’s Plan.” 🙂
Hi James – This is just my view, and has been all along… maybe you misread my views previously? 😆 Thanks for always providing your views as something to think over!
corruption ,my partner who now lives in n.z . was married when i meet her ,seperated and as normal receiving no support from the husband ,we decided first thing we needed to do if we were to have a future together ,get her an annulment ,cost lawer 120,000 pasos time frame 14 mths ,this is regarded as fast ,the reason is our lawer told us we must pay the judge 30,000 pasos or the case would be delayed until god knows when . I PAYED,next time i came across corruption was my girl and i decided to fly to hong kong for a few days ,booked tickets arrived at cebu airport ,got to customs and had to fill in departure form ,asked for your work and employer ,my girl is secondry teacher ,on leave ,she wrote on form teacher ,the customs officer asked her for letter from employer giving her permission to leave philippines ,this was the first we knew of this requirement ,after my girl nearly in tears pleading with this man in cebano ,she then asked me for 200 pasos this she gave the customs officer and he wrote on form unemployed ,we then got on our plane . people ask how can the philippines improve the visitor numbers ,well here in nz i never see even the airfares shown in travel adds .also people ask me should they visit ,i usually then explain the third world standards and what u must expect ,like your water going off and brown outs ,also little things most tourists expect like toilet paper in toilets ,i enjoy the philippines now ,but first time i visited after 24 hours i was thinking why the hell did i come here ,now i appreciate the people and enjoy the colour and vibrant way of life ,but first visit a bit of a culture shock ,we own a house in cebu and will eventually move there ,i hope with new presedent corruption is delt with ,but i have my doubts ,is just a way of life there
Hi, Bob!
Those are great recommendations! I really think you can be a good adviser to our president. And I agree with your points. When I was in Hong Kong, there were ads on TV encouraging their citizens to report to the authorities any incident of graft and corruption. If P.Noy is serious in his intention to improve the bureaucracy, he should consider such option and your recommendations.
The fodder for corruption is too much government. Governments nearly everywhere have grown too big, too expensive, too debt-ridden, too coercive, too nosy, too intrusive, too restrictive, too inefficient, and too arrogant.
One reason for this is government’s unlimited power via central banks to issue as much unbacked, debt-based currency as they want in order to finance favored programs, reward political allies, and enforce ever expanding, impossibly complicated laws and regulations reaching further and further into the private and commercial affairs of the people, who in turn are taxed to repay the “money” – with interest – to the central bank as though it were an actual loan. Having no understanding of the banking system (because they were never taught it in public schools), the people see themselves, perhaps unconsciously, as having no real chance to succeed economically. To an extent their perception is correct, insofar as government over-regulation and central planning disrupt free markets. If government spending – almost always deficit – dominates more and more of the economy and if excessive printing of money leads to higher and higher consumer prices, then people are less inclined to take entrepreneurial risks, produce something which society values, and accumulate savings. Instead the become more inclined to plug into a civil service position which adds no wealth to the economy or which provides a service that the private sector could provide more efficiently.
If government were strictly limited to such functions as defending the borders, protecting private property rights, and administering criminal justice, this would go a long way toward eliminating incentives for bribery and other forms of corruption.
Big government and corruption go together like ham and eggs.
I know this post is not new. I am a bit furious at the moment and as this post deals with corruption, I just needed to get it off my chest.
A couple of months ago, I sent perfume to my fiancee. I had sent other things to her and had no problems with customs. The shippers used UPS, FedEx, or DHL and paid the custom fee at time of shipping (except FedEx who collected on delivery). I had the packages sent to my fiancee’s work address in Metro Manila and delivery went without a hitch.
Enter the perfume. I was unaware that the shipper did not pay the custom fee. He sent it USPS that handed it over to PHLPOST. She had to pick it up at the custom office and paid 54 USD (in pesos). The perfume cost 54 USD, Shipping was 60 USD. We paid double for the perfume, and I am sure that the fee should not have been that much. Lesson learned, no USPS, use merchant’s who pay fees at shipping.
Had to order something from another country and they used their version of USPS. Package was handed over to PHLPOST. No worries, custom fee was paid by shipper. So my fiancee gets a notice to pick up the package at the custom office. She tells me it will cost her money. I say no. Custom fee was paid, no money due, just pick it up. I send an inquiry by email to customs. I read it as the policy for delivery after custom inspection. Deliveries outside Metro Manila get sent to local post office, Metro Manila deliveries must be picked up. So all she has to do is pick it up because shipper paid the custom fee, right. Wrong. They charged her 3,107 pesos on a shipment that had its fee already paid. Apparently, you will pay a fee if owed or not if you pick it up. And you must pick it up if it is Metro Manila and PHLPOST. Funny, if sent by UPS, FedEx, or DHL, package doesn’t stop at customs for pick up, it gets delivered to you door. Not brave enough to try to rip off a big corporation, just your own people.
I agree corruption needs to be stopped. Start with the Custom Office. Fire everybody. The amount of corruption that goes on there cannot go unnoticed by a “just” employee. So if you are not “shaking down” the package receiver, you know who is and silence makes you just as guilty.
Sorry about the rant.
s work address in Metro Manila and delivery went without a hitch.