For Whom the Whistle Blows

Corruption has become ordinary in the Philippines. It exists in different forms in the contemporary society today.  It may be the petty corruption that happens on the street or the high-level corruption that exists in the highest echelons of society, where generals and politicians and businessmen play.[1] Corruption exists when a jeepney driver does not give the right amount of change to his passengers. It is also present when a school official collects donations from students for a cause that is supposedly for the improvement of the education offered in the institution. It prevails in a government where politicians pocket the collected money of the citizens and use it for personal use. Corruption is done brazenly out in the public or worse, pulled off effortlessly without the victims’ knowledge.

As the Year of the Rabbit opened with a bang, controversies involving corruption in the Philippines exploded louder than any firework a shop in Bocaue, Bulacan could ever produce. The revelations of former AFP budget officer ex-Lt. Col. George Rabusa that incoming and outgoing top officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) received hundreds of millions of pesos in "pasalubong,” “pabaon" and more “perks” expose the long-running system of large-scale corruption in the highest echelons of command in the reactionary government’s armed forces. Further details of bribery, overpricing, juggling and transfers of funds to private accounts and other methods of thievery have been provided by Rabusa, former government auditor Heidi Mendoza and other witnesses.[2]

Courage, Integrity, Loyalty – these words form the backbone of the Philippine Military Academy. Why is the country seeing several exemplars and distortions of these three words? “It no longer shocks me,” were the only words uttered by President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III upon hearing the tale of fraud in the military’s top brass. Corruption has become so common, so normal that even the most powerful person in the country is no longer astonished at the existence of it.

In a forum conducted at Adamson University last March 1, 2011 entitled “Forum on Truth and Integrity”, ex-Lt. Col. George Rabusa and Heidi Mendoza disclosed the truth to the students and personnel of the institution. They sacrificed their jobs, personal security and life to bring to light the extent of dishonesty committed by Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia and other top officials of the military.  The courage these whistle blowers have shown is indeed admirable. At the end of the forum, students recited “Panata sa Pagbabago”, a pledge comprised of little but important things the youth can do to help lessen corruption. These things may be little, but they are big steps towards change.

May the truth tellers inspire every Filipino to speak the truth at whatever cost. For whom the whistle blows, may they stop perpetrating evil acts.

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[1] Dayao, C 2011, ‘Understanding Corruption in the Philippines’, The ProPinoy Project, viewed 5 March 2011, <http://propinoy.net/2011/02/07/understanding-corruption-in-the-philippines/>

[2] ‘Revelations of large-scale AFP corruption infuriates foot soldiers and people’, 2011, viewed 3 March 2011, <http://ndfp.net/joomla/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1024&Itemid=53>