WITH less than two years left on the term of Noynoy Aquino, I think he can use some help in straightening out the liko-liko and smoothing out the baku-bako on his Tuwid na Daan. “The Straight Path” is, after all, supposed to be the showcase of the Aquino presidency, the concretization of his campaign slogan, “Kung walang kurap, walang mahirap,” the lasting legacy of his tenure.
In all fairness, Aquino should be congratulated for conceiving the anti-corruption campaign following nearly a decade of the mess left by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
But did Aquino realize that he was undertaking a daunting task? It certainly was not the first time well-meaning individuals had mounted such a crusade. Sadly, I can’t recall any that succeeded.
Perhaps it was because the criteria for success in these past efforts were not adequately defined or the standards set were too high. Thus, nothing short of a total elimination of graft and corruption could be acknowledged as “successful.”
With two years left in Aquino’s term, the usual detractors are saying that there is no way he will succeed in leaving a legacy of incorruptibility. However, he could still succeed in certain aspects, if not overall.
That is nothing to be ashamed of. As long as the objectives are defined, any measure of success, any little victory should be lauded, so that others may be encouraged to do their share, even if modest.
The mistake was announcing an elephantine goal and then delivering mouse-like results. I think the time has come to set more mouse-like goals that can at least snare some rats. That way, no one can call Aquino’s tenure a total failure.
Having said that, I would like to offer some unsolicited suggestions.
I think that the fundamental guideline in this effort should be the exhortation of Jesus Christ to the crowd that was about to stone the adulteress: “Let him who is without sin among you cast the first stone.”
If that is asking too much, perhaps it is reasonable to at least require, as a first step, an examination of conscience among the members of Aquino’s cabinet.
Let him who is not without sin prudently step aside, make amends, cleanse his soul, and be properly anointed before falling back in line. That could affect most of Aquino’s cabinet but at least they will be granted penance.
The second suggestion I would like to make is for Aquino to tighten the screws on the political party of which he is the “spiritual” head, the Liberal Party. That could also screw up the 2016 election plans of Senate President Franklin Drilon and DILG Secretary Mar Roxas but that, again, is the cost of contrition.
Only by setting an example can they be truly credible. Like Cesar’s wife, they must be beyond reproach. And, most of all, to be truly credible, the spearhead of the anti-corruption crusade, namely Noynoy Aquino, must be perceived as spotless.
Of course, even assuming that Aquino has not enriched himself in office, the fact that he has cast a blind eye on the corruption of his cabinet officials and party mates makes him an accessory to corruption.
But then, that would be setting the standards too high to be realistic. So, maybe it can be agreed that Aquino is “relatively clean” and “relatively incorruptible,” thus qualifying him as the moral head of the anti-corruption campaign.
On the other hand, it would be too much to expect the public to believe that the recipients of millions in pork barrel and DAP funds (and that includes “moral crusaders” like Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Antonio Trillanes) did not pocket some of the proceeds, aside from assorted sources of allowances and perks in their respective offices.
Of course, there could be some exceptions. There could be some spotless souls in the crevices of the LP and Malacañang offices to delight Diogenes. They could ride astride Aquino at the head of the moral crusade.
Thus, let those who are clean take up the banner and lead the charge. And let those who are not worthy of the highest ideals of the anti-corruption campaign submit their resignation from their respective offices and be forever banished from polite company.
But what are the causes of corruption?
Power is one of the main causes. Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. And how is this power wielded? With the pen, whether virtual or actual. The power to approve or disapprove with a signature is one of the key causes of corruption.
Take away from the politicians the power to approve or disapprove. Leave that to a computerized system that processes government transactions like the renewal of licenses, business applications, bids for public works and public-private projects, customs clearances, tax cases, allocation of budgets, distribution of conditional cash transfer dole-outs and similar sources of dirty money, based on pre-programmed criteria.
With that power taken away from the politicians and even from Aquino himself, businessmen, lobbyist and ordinary mortals will no longer find it necessary to bribe them or kiss their asses.
Best of all, it will dispel the current perception of public office as a business enterprise and a way to build wealth. Taking away the power to approve will also take away the incentive for running for public office and leave only the truly dedicated public servants and missionaries willing to serve.
Will that totally rid the government of thieves? Not quite. Making the thieves in government change may be like expecting snakes and crocodiles to shed their scales. An impossibility.
To address this, we suggest applying the policy that Lee Kwan Yew and his team instituted when they took over the governance of Singapore, hitherto a cesspool of corruption. Anyone seen to be living beyond his means was automatically considered to have stolen the excess financial capability. That allowed the government to seize the assets and throw the public official behind bars.
That would be the ultimate solution to the problem of straightening out the liko-liko on Aquino’s Tuwid na Daan and filling up the baku-bako on his Straight Path.
But that solution reminds me of the joke about the late Manila Mayor Antonio Villegas issuing a directive to the Manila Police Department: “Pick up every ugly person in Manila, line them up at the Luneta and shoot them.”
The next day, no single cop could be found on the streets of the city. And even Mayor Villegas had to stay at home.
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