Prof. Adrian M. Tamayo
University of Mindanao
Corruption in the Government
The government employs the biggest number of workers with 1.5 million employees in the judiciary, legislative and executive branches (Carlos et al., 2010 ). A very large bureaucracy will lead to temptations of corruption as opportunities abound and risk is very low. The country is losing tens of billions of pesos every year to corruption with such an amount enough to build the needed school buildings and hospitals, or for providing services or even to raise salaries of the government workers. The pervert situation of income portfolio of the economy since the Marcos era viciously balloons the national debt, with latest estimates amounting to Php5.063 trillion in 2010 while the annual budget for the said period is Php1.514 trillion, or a requirement of Php 30 to pay a P1 debt.
The corruption in the Philippines is carried through various means and innovativeness. But the Philippine Center on Transnational Crimes as mentioned by Dr. Carlos enumerated the common forms of corruption such as tax evasion, ghosts projects and payrolls, evasion of public bidding in public contracts, sub-contracting, nepotism and favoritism, extortion or giving of protection money, and bribery.
The brazenness of the individuals engaged in the feisty robbery of the peoples’ money is a result of a benefit and opportunity extremely surpassed the risk of being caught or penalized by it. There remained courage in number. The corruptors are many; they thrive in potentials possible of milking. And every time greasing the wheel is done, this translates money spilled, and credibility eroded.
Social Market Economy as Mechanism to Eliminate Corruption
Central to the principle of social market economy is the dignity of human person, and that, the competition in the market must ensure the protection and enhancement of the full potential of the human person.
Social market economy facilitates a mechanism to combine the principle of freedom in the market place with social balance. A nation that aims for social balance allows individuals in the society to exercise property rights in order to achieve maximum utility of benefits in the pursuit of fulfillment of dignity as human persons. In this light, the exchange that occurs in the market must be based on mutual trust and benefits that is equitable to all. Feasibility of reconciling market dynamics with social justice implanted on profit motives within ethical spheres of moral fairness will secure that the exchange is based on sentiment of closeness and certainty.. This is a market framework founded on the principle of ethical education to pro-create a system that will directly address poverty, property rights and entitlement and equity.
Citizenship and Corruption
The effects of corruption cannot just be downgraded into lost of millions from an effective spending. Corruption is very much depraving that it creates social dislocation as being resultant of distorted economic growth, deepening poverty and severe income inequality. Corruption will also destroy the political credibility and will demoralize the bureaucracy which will lead to threats to public order, impunity of criminals and perils to the safety of a common citizen of the state. One must understand that the threat never recognizes age bracket, educational attainment, sex and gender orientation, status in the society. The menace of corruption will sweep us all and debase us to stinky and ruined future where the greater majority is ever–hounded by fear, insecurity, dismal condition, and the potential perpetuation of such over generations to come; while a small and handful number of individuals who broker power, grease the system, pay carnage to protect their interests, and weld insults to the State and its laws. This is a situation where all our future are doomed, a clear and vivid arena of the dogs and sordid competition to gain market power. If we allow the mongrels to continue today, in ten years, what can we call ourselves then, corruptizens?
