Restoring public trust in government
Corruption is as old as human history. the First Dynasty (3100–2700 BC) of ancient Egypt noted corruption in its judiciary. in 171 BC, the first bribes were recorded in Rome. this was due to the state nearly being bankrupt after the punic Wars, and wealthy citizens realized they could gain influence if they loaned the government money.
The Oxford Dictionary defines corruption as “dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery.” Corruption originates from the Latin word corruptus. The word is the past participle of corrumpere, meaning, “mar, bribe, destroy.”
The phenomenon of graft and corruption in the Philippine bureaucracy could be traced to the country’s experience during the Spanish period. History Professor Maria Serena I. Diokno wrote in a paper—corruption and the moral imperative, through the lens of Rizal—that Jose Rizal spoke lengthily of it, in rich detail.
Diokno cited what Rizal wrote in 1890: “All the Filipinos, as well as all those who have tried to engage in business in the Philippines, know how many documents, how many processes, how many stamped papers, how much patience is needed to secure a permit for an enterprise from the Government! One must count on the goodwill of this one, on the influence of that one, on a good bribe to another, in order that the application be not pigeonholed .... ”
Times hardly changed as far as corruption in government is concerned. The Philippines still suffers from widespread corruption. For example, the anomaly in the Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.’s transactions with the Procurement Service of the Department of Budget and Management (PS-DBM) could also involve corruption. Securities and Exchange Commission documents showed Pharmally is undercapitalized, but it managed to win billions worth of contracts. Its deliveries were certified even without inspection. Its pricing was exorbitant.
The PS-DBM was created to procure materials and things that are commonly used by government agencies, which will make procurement undertakings efficient among agencies and offices of the government. Senate probers, however, said that PS-DBM and Department of Education officials are involved in a conspiracy to pad prices of laptops.
Senators from the majority and minority blocs are firming up a consensus to abolish the PS-DBM after the investigating Blue Ribbon Committee released its report on the overpriced laptops deal between PS-DBM and the Department of Education. Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros affirmed her fellow senators’ determination to go after the erring officials involved to send a clear message that “no one will be spared.” (Read, “After laptops and pandemic supplies scandals, PS-DBM faces new abolition call from senators,” in the Businessmirror, January 20, 2023).
Hontiveros added: “Moving forward, beyond the filing of charges, it is also important to plug the holes through which these anomalies passed, not just with the laptops case, but also with Pharmally and other incidents.”
The Blue Ribbon inquiry in the 18th Senate, chaired by then-chairman Sen. Richard J. Gordon, had traced the controversial role of PS-DBM, to which the Department of Health outsourced its procurement tasks, and of former PS-DBM chief Lloyd Christopher Lao. Lao is among those recommended for prosecution by the current Blue Ribbon leadership under Sen. Francis Tolentino.
Corruption in government is costing the Philippines about P700 billion a year. As long as we have corrupt officials, malfeasance won’t stop. Curbing corruption at PS-DBM can be a daunting task given the Senate findings that PS-DBM has seemingly become a centralized agency for overpriced procurement.
Senator Imee Marcos last year said “the series of procurement controversies that surfaced during the pandemic must end,” adding that the PS-DBM has outlived its usefulness. It would do well for the Marcos administration to abolish the PS-DBM before it can contaminate other government agencies. This move is necessary to enhance public trust in government.