Poor Us

 

Pope Francis characterized corruption as the “gangrene of the people” that, if we may add, reduces many to abject poverty and sub-human existence.

In the Philippines, it’s been estimated by Washington-based think tank Global Financial Integrity (GFI) that the local economy had lost at least $133 billion to corruption from 1960 to 2011.

That’s $7.9 billion (roughly P357 billion) in lost government revenues each year – money that could have been used to create more jobs, build infrastructures like schools and hospitals, and increase the social security benefits of the poor and the elderly.

It was against this backdrop that the present dispensation got elected in 2010 on a strong anti-corruption stance.

Alas, that stance has proven to be just that – a stance – as many government agencies like the agriculture, budget, transportation and social welfare departments have been embroiled in corruption scandals under the outgoing administration.

In fact, the leadership of the outgoing dispensation which spent a lot of time going after past government officials may just find itself on the same boat, hounded and haled before criminal and civil courts by the next government.

It would then be déjà vu, or of history repeating itself, or of a vicious cycle going on and on.  Thus, the fight against corruption will always be won or lost through the ballot box. –END-

Image by: Equalizer Post