There was an interesting article in today's Philippine Daily Inquirer, on page A22 of the sports section, entitled "A heavyweight secret the Philippines can't afford", by Recah Trinidad. In short, the article reports that an unnamed Filipino rented a luxury suite in the MGM Grand Villa I, at a cost of US$20,000 per night, while attending the recent Morales-Pacquiao prizefight. The author offers several clues to the identity of the big spender but never actually reveals the name. He rules out several well-known wealthy Filipinos, and even says that the guy is "a lot bigger than a congressman", but refuses to name the name, on the grounds that it would be a "political bombshell".
This game of revealing a wrongdoing but refusing to identify the perpetrator is a common practice here, not only by the press, but also by government officials. It's not unusual to hear an elected official publicly, and indignantly, releasing an "expose" in which he reveals ALMOST enough detail to identify an erring official, but refuses to give the name out of "delicadeza". Amazingly, in a country where so many officials abuse the public trust, and where so many suffer as a result of that abuse, we still place a higher value on the need to avoid embarrassing or shaming a guilty party. This is something that must change, or we will never be able to control the massive theft that happens right under our very noses every day. In my opinion, there is something much bigger at stake here than protecting the honor of someone you have already implied to be dishonorable.
But, then again, maybe we really don't want anything to change. Maybe we like the system just the way it is. Anti-corruption consultant Tony Kwok recently suggested that we need to start a shame campaign, to embarrass people into behaving honorably. But his recommendation drew immediate fire from a number of elected officials, who seemed to feel that this practice would violate individual dignity and even human rights. My question is, "whose rights are violated when an official spends $20,000 per night renting a luxury hotel in Las Vegas?" Could it be the thousands of poor and hungry Filipinos who might otherwise have benefited from that money? I think their need far outweighs the needs of delicadeza.
A collection of observations, discoveries, and general ramblings about Philippine politics and society, written by a guy who loves the country dearly -- in spite of the fact that it's slowly driving him crazy!
- accountability (10)
- citizenship (1)
- corruption (11)
- discipline (5)
- honor (8)
- insurgency (1)
- law enforcement (7)
- leadership (6)
- random (9)
- traffic (1)
"It's no use saying 'We are doing our best'. You have got to do what is necessary."
"Nobody makes a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little."
"I cannot accept, your canon that we are to judge pope and king unlike other men, with a favorable presumption that they do no wrong. If there is any presumption, it is the other way against holders of power ... Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
"It is said that power corrupts, but actually it's more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power."
"The government is the potent omnipresent teacher. For good or ill it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. To declare that the end justifies the means -- to declare that the government may commit crimes -- would bring terrible retribution."
"All that is necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing."
Winston Churchill
"Nobody makes a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could only do a little."
Edmund Burke
"I cannot accept, your canon that we are to judge pope and king unlike other men, with a favorable presumption that they do no wrong. If there is any presumption, it is the other way against holders of power ... Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."
Lord Acton
"It is said that power corrupts, but actually it's more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power."
David Brin
"The government is the potent omnipresent teacher. For good or ill it teaches the whole people by its example. Crime is contagious. If the government becomes a lawbreaker, it breeds contempt for law; it invites every man to become a law unto himself; it invites anarchy. To declare that the end justifies the means -- to declare that the government may commit crimes -- would bring terrible retribution."
Justice Louis D. Brandeis
"All that is necessary for evil to triumph, is for good men to do nothing."
Edmund Burke
1 comments:
I have to admit I'm a bit confused of sorts. What you wrote in your post is all true, that we seem to have a penchant of making "blind items" or expose's of sorts, but stopping short of naming the person involved out of, like you say, delicadeza. Of course I would like to point out that it seems that only the rich and powerful are only accorded this respectful treatment.
Case in point, in the case of violent of heinous crimes committed in this country, why is is standard operating procedure for law enforcers to present their suspects to the public, televised, no less, wearing orange shirts indicating that they are indeed inmates? These people are not yet guilty, innocent until proven guilty right? So why are they being paraded around like everyone's sure that they did it? Remember the first set of suspects from the Vizconde massacre? They were paraded around and presented as the real deal before they were set free because of the identification of a new set of suspects, including Hubert Webb.
Remember former Mayor Lim's program of hanging signs on the front doors of houses suspected of harboring drug pushers or addicts, I don't remember exactly what the signs say, I think something to the effect of "may nakatirang drug pusher dito" (a drug pusher lives here). These occupants havent't been charged, much less convicted of any offense, and yet they are being subject to public ridicule. Assuming a drug pusher or addict indeed lives there? Why are you subjecting to the same ridicule the other occupants who are innocent?
This was only recent, the "wet rag" campaign of the MMDA. It started out as a supposed license to spray water on pedestrians who refuse to wait for public transport on the sidewalk or on designated areas. Again, where's the due process? In a way this is tantamount to the infliction of punishment without due process of law.
It turns out the government can be kind of fickle when it comes to the protection of the privacy and rights of its citizens.
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