Do you know of any government on this earth that has been honest? History has shown that no government, First World or Third World, Modern or Ancient, has been honest.

if you’re referring to levels say from councilor up to the presidency, i think you may be right to generalize an answer that says “no”, there never was. for awhile we thought we would have such a thing going under cory aquino but she tried mixing her government with minds from different ideologies and tried to please everyone and ended up with a chopsuey. she alone had the honesty but was a lamb among wolves, and the wolfpacks had the upper hand. today we see more clever thieves . our universities produce brilliant minds who develop brotherhoods amongst themselves and end up in corporate and government positions only to become masterful syndicated thieves who play with words and legal avenues to escape accountability. it even appears that unless one becomes a part of this thieving club mentality he cannot belong. being totally honest in government is to be “odd”, a square peg in a round hole.
yes, there never was. but we also never lacked in a few who tried, and new ones who try.
perhaps one should also ask the question - whether we as a people are honest ? first of all, how did we always vote ? how come these thieves are in power ? on a day’s simple situations like
when we are caught for a traffic violation, do we willlingly surrender our license or do we “bargain” ? given the opportunity, would we rather pay the right taxes or do we look for a “connection” where we can reduce by simply paying some “fee” to an inside fixer ? and so on. takes two to tango you know. and what we do brings to us what we deserve. read the papers everyday, and read about the scams, scandals, “tongpats”, etc….and remember this : we voted these SOBs into office. now we’re a year from the next election. the ball is in our court.

I don’t think there a country in this world that is honest. I’d settle for a government which does not tolerate corruption.

16mar2009
lasvegasnv

mang goding this is your field of expertise. can you name one national govt administration after the post war that may have actually tried to govern the country with decency? the only one that come to mind is the short term administration of the pres. r. magsaysay.

i bet, with your vast wealth of knowledge in phil political history, you must have something in mind that you would like to share with us. feel free to do it, mang goding.

kayana2 sends
lasvegasnv

Ping Lacson and Gloria Arroyo are examples of dishonesty. If Lacson is the mastermind in the Dacer-Corbito murders, he is execrable. If have information from unimpeachable sources that he has $500 million dollars somewhere. This is money he earned from allowing the Philippines to be a transhipment point of drugs from the Golden Triangle and other illegal sources. He is a crusty, crafty, obstinate, bottom-feeding lowlife.

Gloria Arroyo is a cheat (Hello Garci), a thief (ZTE, Fertilizer fund scam, etc.), and vengeful (she pardoned the killers of Benigno Aquino without letting them say who is the mastermind).

A lot of people in public office are like them that’s why this country is going nowhere. That’s why our best people have to go abroad and work as maids.

They are execrable.

Honesty in Philippine government is not visible enough because our eyes and ears are focused on the massive stains surrounding it. And for as long as we do not appreciate the good things that some of our leaders do, we will never see that goodness echo all across the country. And probably because the media in general picks on the nasty things that our leaders do. These are the issues that linger in the airwave. Anything good that benefits the Pinoys are taken with a kibit-balikat. These are the things that do not generate viewership or audience.

As tempting as it is to say “there isn’t any honesty” in the government, I’d like to think there are small pockets within the system that are still honest.

These are people who do belive in an honest day’s work, and of doing an actual service to their countrymen.

Unfortunately, I don’t know the names of these people are, but they have my thanks.

As for the corrupt little worms (Most of whom I can name unfortunately) that pilfer my tax money for their fancy cars, mansions, watches, and loose women, I can only hope they will get their just deserts when the time comes.

In the most painful, horrendous way possible.

The demand will decrease because of global crisis, if the demand goes down the export of garments and accessories, vehicle part, coconut oil, topical fruit and wood furniture will go down also and if the demand of electronics will decrease the workers will loss their jobs.

After Osmena dishonest maneuver was introduced by Roxas. His election to the highest post was not entirely free of taint. The rest was, of course, a history of small-scale to nation-gripping corrupt practices. I did a minor survey among college and high school students with focus on the question, Is there hope for an honest government after 2010? Surprisingly, 60% of the respondents gave a positive answer. Indeed, the youth give hope to our land, to paraphrase Jose Rizal.

This only one of the series waves that will strike our country after the recession. That decrease in labor force will surely even drag our economy down, with the additional burden in subsidies. As they our now on jobless counts, they will be dependent as they don’t have any job. But to the bright part agricultural sector’s importance will be realized as 35% are of industrial and the rest is agriculture.

What a stunning blog! Who could we believe among politician who is chasing an official seat in the government to let our people paid credits to the World Bank where our people is really innocent to this credit like what most people says “wala nang pag-asang makakabangon ang Pilipinas dahil baon tayo sa utang” but our question is this? “papaano tayo nagkautang nang hindi naman tayo nakapirma kundi ang mga nakaupo’t pinaupo ba natin sila saka binoto saka ibinabala kaya ng mga guro, pulis at militar ang mga buhay nila para umutang ng pera sa World Bank para sa bulsa nila’t tayo ang pagbabayarin? Iyan kaya ang sukli sa pagpapaupo natin sa kanila? Mabuti na lang at nariyan si King Anthony S. Martin at nabayaran na niya ang utang natin noon pang 2004 kaya hinding hindi magpapautang ang World Bank dahil naririyan si HM.”, cheating to comply for transparency report about what is really going on to the flow of public taxes and the worst of all, those politicians are waiting King’s Money to be entered here in the Philippines for Development Project. Who is really a politician that having a pure heart?

Wanted: honest leaders and people

Looking for new breed of leaders is one of the most widely talked about topic nowadays. This is understandable considering that 2010 election is fast approaching. It is our wish as Filipinos to have leaders that can inspire and enrich our lives, leaders who can serve our best interests and liberate us from poverty. We don’t need leaders who manipulate us, peddle lies and leaders who are greedy, and immoral.

Do we have these new breed of leaders today who have a sense of mission and direction to bring about moral change in our country? Do we have leaders who know simply what is good and evil and the difference between temperance and greed? While none of the leaders in the past elections fit our ideal breed of leaders, we ironically and continually choose the lesser evils among them. Isn’t that a sad waste of time and effort that we cannot choose moral leaders except the lesser evils among those who present themselves as leaders? This manner of choosing our leaders is seemingly unbroken. Every election we choose the lesser evil ones and later we get the shocks of our lives when these leaders scandalized us by their dishonest ways and shady deals. Where have all the good leaders of this country gone?

In our search for the new breed of leaders, honesty to one self and to others should be the first criterion. Anybody who presents himself as a leader but knows too well that he cannot do the job is a dishonest leader. Plato in his Republic conceptualized a leader- a philosopher first, then king second. The philosopher-king would be a dishonest monarch if he relegates himself to the level of warriors or artisans. Virtually, many among our leaders are not completely honest. A senator or a councilor is not honest to himself and to the electorate, though popular among the masses, when he cannot legislate. A presidentiable is not also honest to himself and to the people when his only qualification is his wealth or charm but none of the skills and qualities of a president. Anyone who leads a moral life and has the skills and competence to become a leader should come out and be elected as a moral leader. Anyone who in all honesty leads a shady life and has no competence to lead should humbly drop his plan to get elected into public office.

We demand honesty in our leaders because we allow them to have power over our lives. We exact honesty in their leadership because we want them to look after our nation and make our lives as citizens better.

Likewise we the electorate should be honest with ourselves. Let us have a reality check. How do we feel when our leaders fail us? To be honest, we feel angry and entertained. We are angry because we are disappointed by our leaders. We are amused because we see the human frailties in them and we did not expect so much from them after all. We think that they are entitled to do their corrupt practices in the government because they are human beings after all. We have that mind set that government officials are always corrupt and we don’t expect them to be saints. In fact, we get excited, like watching telenobelas, in finding out how these government officials weave their stories when they get stuck in scandals and controversies.

In this coming 2010 election, let us be honest. Let us do this not only for ourselves but for posterity’s sake. Let us not be lured by the looks and promises of leaders. Let us not be fascinated by their inducements and charms. For the Philippines to move on and be great again, we need honest leaders and we need honest people in this country.

Smith was being used as a political pawn ! His only fault was not treating Nicole like a lady, He acted like a boy. he is yunger than her. He needed to treat her with respect, that is were the problem lies. The Philippines is presently having problem’s on the Spratley island’s and is in need of U.S. help. Why are some of the politician’s making wave’s, they cant make it alone ! The U.S. has been the philippine’s formost friend in this uncertain world and china will stop at nothing to get what they want, look at there human right’s record. “NEED I SAY MORE”

It takes one to be around here to see anyone honest in the government. I saw lots of them today at Manila City Hall. I dont see any reason why would they be dishonest just to give me a birth certificate.

Someone has finally hit the nail on the head. As far as I can remember, and that starting with the Quirino administration, politicians got elected by crying “corruption” by government officials, but when they got elected, they did the very same dishonesty, with ingenuity to boot.

How can we expect honesty in government? The people in power and those with access to the media will create their own version(s) of the story if they do not like what they are hearing? Let us take the case of Lacson and Erap on the Dacer case, they are already setting the mind of the public even prior to Mancao’s sworn testimony made public. Another example is the Subic rape case, because it was a slap on the faces of this Gabriela group of Nicoles’ new affidavit that they are now coming up with their version of Malacanang and Obama’s influence on this case that is why Nicole has changed her mind.

the word honesty does exist only in the dictionary. its genesis can be traced long before. may i hasten to add though that we have a more corrupt govt now. even the foreign remittance is being manipulated thru an anomalous exchange rate in order to cheat the ofw’s of their hard-earned money. she cheats, from election to money; she lies not only in bed.

How can we trust someone who can rape an 11 year old? WE CANNOT. Much more the people who took care of all his desires while in incarceration. THE MORE WE CANNOT. Living like a king while in supposed government imposed rehabilitation – give him everything he asks “life”. If all the prisoners were like his level in every point, our government owned prisons will all be emptied in 11 years. But then again, reality shows a bias story. Maybe we should watch out more now that criminals like him can go free – WATCH OUT FOR THE PEOPLE IN-CHARGE BECAUSE THEY WILL QUICKLY RELEASE PEOPLE LIKE HIM FOR FREE (…FOR A FEE).

In our opinion, the farmers must give an extension with reforms to achieve an effective completion of land acquisition and distribution accompanied by a real start in delivering adequate and sustained support services to beneficiaries. Distribute to landless farmers can help them to improve their livelihood.

They say it was the Americans who instituted corruption…when the US took over the Philippines in the early 1900’s.

When did we have honesty in our government?”says a letter writer.
********************************
Tell you what, not all eggs in a basket are spoiled.
There might be one ortwo but not the whole eggs in a basket.
You are a Filipino and you know that only one or two eggs might be bugok and you are happy that plenty are good for hatching or ready to eat.
The problem with you and most Filipinos think that all government are dishonest. To tell you frankly, government workers are the most honest, obedient and seldom complain.
There might be one or two bad employees in a department but it is natural as there are also in private or in the family.
But we call them black sheep or a dishonest but not the entire family or department.
But when it comes to government, people always make a blanket statement that the whole bureaucracy is bad, corrupt or dishonest.
That is not right. If there is no government or public servant no one will serve, protect, aid, help the entire country and Filipinos.
So, better watch out what you think. Your perception is wrong.
It is the people like you who are dishonest, because for sure mostly cheat in their tax.
Dishonesty in the government , I don;t think so,
Honest, obedient, underpaid, malign workers in the government, yes they are.

Carl Ramirez,
sweet young girls are commonplace in most ports for desserts on board ships. Or even at Cubao or anywhere. Remember the cradle stories of very young girls prmped up by their own mothers to be noticed by the king (old withered by his harem and concubines) in his rounds of his kingdom? Or by the cabeza de barangay?

Corruption multiply from quezon to gloria arroyo to the point that even in small barangays; cheating, telling lies and stealing money is the product of vested interest, lawlesssness, incompetence, tax cheaters, favoratism in afp, laws that favorsthe rich, robotic comelec, polytical dynasty, self serving political partys, smugglers, drug manufactures/dealers, gambling lords, bench warmer legislators, slow judges are just common to filipino life, that spread like wildfires from forbes park to philippine shanty towns. This is because politicians, hoodlum in robes & tro’s support these criminal activities to satisfy their lust and greed.Only few are clean, those who live in simple life, with no chekered past honest neigbors who are not exploiters are true filipinos. Corruption in the minds of younger population is what we have inherit today that will linger beyond our time.
Our current president leads the way in corruption excercise never experience before in our philippine history.

Rowen,
I think you have a keen sense of observation. But I think the explaination is that: For a public servant, one is expected to give his all. One is expected to do good. one is expected to give his best. And if he did, he should not expect praise. He did what were expected of him. Salamat but he/she will rarely hear anything like that. O, iyan ang takbo ng isip ng publiko.

But if he screws up malaking issue iyan para sa hindi naman kulang ang bayad. kabulastugan kung wala sila achievement na maipakita. Subra subra ang nakukuha ng mga ito galing kay Juan dela Cruz. Public focus is on people running the bureaucracy - the top officials. To generalize, kapalpakan lang ang mga nakikita dito.

We do have many honest and hard working people in government. Sad to say many of them are underpaid, unsung heroes, usually mga ordinaryong empleyado lamang. Thanks God hindi lahat exposed sa corruption o nasa posesyon para mahawa ng corruption!

People always talk of corruption, corruption and corruption, umaga, tanghali, hapon.
And yet they cannot define what is corruption.

Nagbigay ng pampadulas para mapabilis ang nilalakad na papel sa gobyerno,corruption.
Nagbigay ng pangkape para sa empleadong kulang sa sweldo, ang tawag ng pilipino, corruption.

Whereas if one works in private and a salesman gives something to purchaser ang tawag commission hindi corruption.
Whereas in america where one has to lobby for the passage of a bill for the company’s favor ang tawag lobbyist, sa pinas corruption.

Si Willie yumaman sa Wowowee but nobody accuse him of corruption but if a governemtn employee bought a new car, he is a suspect of corruption.
Wala na bang pag-asang umasenso ang taga gobyerno ng walang paghihinala.

I think, pilipinos are just suspicious about government or they have this mental illness called szhiso, always paranoia of government.
Or maybe because, Filipinos are Inggit sa taga gobyerno akala mapera at maimpluensa.

when will we have no more corruption should be the point of contention…simple lang… we kill em all!! we kill them all with kindness and the grace of the Lord

honesty is the best policy. example is the most effective teacher. and a tree shall be known by the fruit it bears.
honesty will flourish in government only when leaders set the example. current leaders followed the examples of effective politics.
so, we are in a rotten situation.
let us follow the principle of the farm - and what do farmers do about bad crops ?

I read the posts here and I am really disappointed. Why cna’t we still not accept the fact that majority of government servants are corrupt. From the lowly rank and file who cheats on work time to the powerful politicians in both the executive and the legislative who can’t seem to be satisfied with the millions they have stolen from the honest taxpayers. Yes, Filipinios are corrupt. It’s already the cancer of our society. All politicians and those corrupt government employees should all just die. I hope you all burn in hell.

Let us retool our people

We deserve better leaders in this country but we don’t seem to get them. Why? With the entire hullabaloo we make as to who should be elected as the next president in the 2010 national elections, we overlook the importance of the role our people play. We should remember it is our people who are going to elect the president and nobody else.

It is understandable that we look for in the next president or any other elected official qualities of honesty, commitment, hard work, and with moral courage. But this is less significant if we take a preview of the qualities of our people who cast their votes. It does matter of course that a presidential candidate is electable or winnable but it does matter too how the people vote. The presidential candidate may have all the sterling traits of a president but these are rubbish and even anomalous when people do not mind them.

Our people are too busy to stay alive as they live through privation. It is likened to not making a conscious choice of food being served when one is suffering from toothache. They stare wide-eyed into their empty pockets and their empty tummies give a moan of frustration. This is the most unfortunate predicament of most of our poor people nowadays. Many of our people are more interested on what they can take away from the candidates like money. It is a common knowledge that elections in our country are ruled by money power. Candidates woo our people through the distribution of money to them. Money, not the qualities of the candidates, assumes the biggest role in every election in our country. Money rules and it is what it takes to win an election. Worse, moneyed candidates even prefer to lose our respect than lose an election.

I have long wondered if our people can be more serious with their role as electorate in the 2010 national elections because many of our people have not really given much thought on the importance of electing better leaders. They don’t have the time to digest all information about the qualities of the candidates nor their programs of government. They spend more their time on filling their stomach. They sidestep the question “Which candidate will bring about change in the country” with the question “How much money can we get from these candidates?”

It is time to retool our people. Let us teach them that they should demand for change in this country. It is important then that we have to have a serious voters’ education program. Let us prepare our voters to choose the right leaders.

If Your Corrupt Politicians Would Spend Some Of Their Illegally Gained Wealth On The Poor, eliminate all terrorists and their groups,

And Invest In Your Economy With Technological Advancement, Including, Advanced Computer Technology And Use It For All Things Besides The Internet,

Provide The Best Education From Abroad,

Free School Books, And Clothes For The Poor,

And Affordable Modest Housing For Everyone,

Attend To The Needs Of Your Poor,

” And Bring Foreigners Into Your Country Without Prejudice, Or Difficulty, Such As Obtaining Permanent Visas So As To Bring Wealth Into Your Country ” ,

To Enhance Your Country’s Wealth.

Your Country Would Be Well On It’s Way Towards One Of The Best Countries In The World,

And Your Poor And Destitute People Would Be Much Better Off.

As Would Your Country.

However You Must Start By Eliminating The Corruption And Terrorism In Your Entire Government And Country.

To Include All Of It’s Corrupt Officials And Their Offices.

Provide Computers And Telephone Service To All Of Your Offices,

And Have The Personnel In Those Offices,

Make Simple Telephone Calls To Other Offices Instead Of Sending Customers To Multiple Windows And Offices.

Customers Should Not Be Taken Advantage Of.

Your Officials Should Not Be Allowed To Slow Down Your Country’s Progress In Becoming A Nation Of The Free,

And A Nation Free Of Corruption And Terrorism.

Your Government Should Also Stop Making People Wait Days, Weeks, Months, And Even Years To Accomplish A Simple Task.

Your Country May Just Survive And Become An Advanced Country In The World,

If Your People Stand Together, Expose, And Force Corruption Out.

I Do Not Expect This Comment To Be Posted Because Either The Editors Are Afraid To Post It,

Or They Are Corrupt Themselves.

If The Editors Do Post It,

It Means That Someone Besides Myself Cares For Your Country And Also Your Country’s People.

To Hell With Corruption In Any Society, Do Not Be Afraid Of Your Corrupt Politicians And Government Officials, Force, Force,

Force Them All Out And Save Your Country.

Almighty God Knows Who The Corrupt People Are,

And Going To Church By Those People Will Not Save Them From Satan And The Pits Of Hellfire For Eternity.

They Will Not Go To Heaven,

And Their Paradise Will Be In Hell.

This Comment Is By An Individual That Cares About The Honest Philippine People.

I share your feelings with much thought on how and when. As the past is just that, but the future can be better as proven in our selection of President Obama. i remember a year before the election when no oe gave him a chance. No unlike PH and so many other coutries the people with a dollar here an maybe only two dollars there. That is how he got his money and not from all the fat cats who buy poloticans like they do shoes. I see a great hope for the Philippines ! Why you ask ? The people are now stronger then every with thier voices and they now what is good and what is fake. It can not happen over night but I see in the future a very different country coz now the people have been awaken and I pray that never again will they be lauded to sleep with the palace steels billions from all the money sent to yuor country but others who do care. God Bless the good people of the Philippines and to hell with so many of its so called poloticians.

BF – man of the hour!

This piece operates against the backdrop that only last 18 June 2009, Philippine Star had in its headline the SWS findings that the ‘race narrows down to Villar, Noli, Mar’. The news is unsettling in that the survey appears to have now cast a smaller net projecting thereby the impression that there are only three choices to pick from. For would it be the final outcome at the polls that Sen. Manuel Villar will lead, followed by Vice President Noli de Castro, and then by Sen. Manuel Roxas II?

Prof. Carlita Carlos, UP political scientist has always said that it is in fact, too early to come up with any prediction much less establish a mind-conditioning trend. Not surprisingly, the question that was asked - “Who do you think are good leaders who should succeed President Arroyo? You may give up to three names? – is a leading question, which should not be the case. Hence, the data elicited came out with a 29% for Villar, 21% for De Castro and 18% for Roxas – from some 7,000 respondents. Cursorily, the question requires quick memory recall with all three – in terms of their TV and radio ads – taking the top 3 positions.

In other words, the individual info commercials in their paid TV or radio ads only succeeded to float in the public mind these three popular names by simple work in memory recall. Certainly, such TV ads as “padyak, padyak” of Mar, “itik, itik” of Manny, and “pabahay, pabahay” of Noli may have already filtered down in public subconscious state to become easily remembered. After all, only these three wannabes have so far flooded the TV viewing screen and the radio waves with their political ads. So, since the SWS survey seems directionally self-explanatory, it seems to serve only one vicious purpose – let it filter down more across larger intelligences.

The top 10 shows President Joseph Estrada earning 13%; Sen. Panfilo Lacson 12%; Mayor Jejomar Binay 2%; and President Arroyo 2%. Surprisingly, Lacson should not have been part of the equation since he already declared plan not to run. What is perhaps more important to look into are the residual facts that 20% have not given an answer with 9% more not even recommending anyone. In short, 29% is deemed ‘untapped’. All of 29% can in fact go to a ‘dark horse’ if we play with the game of possibilities.

This SWS survey tells us that there is a significant segment in the voting population who are keeping their choice closed to their chest. They may be ashamed to reveal openly that their choice may in fact be an unpopular one or at least one who had never launch a TV or radio ad so yet. That they would rather opt to give their choice the sacredness it deserves is certainly within their prerogative. What should be clear here is that 29% of the 7,000 respondents have not really spoken. This means that a good 2,030 of the number have not elicited any response, much less a choice of president.

Let me then zero in at this point that there is a unique sociological phenomenon typified if not even ‘stereotypical’ of Filipinos and this is the trait we usually call “hiya” or being “mahiyain”. Let us supposed that the 29% are of such attitudinal type who in a subsequent survey could be vocal about voting for BF depending on how the question may be so formulated. It does not have to be a survey done by SWS in yet another time as any polling circuit will do.

This leads me to ask a question that has already been asked before, “Why should voters choose a legislator to be president?” To my mind, more than top standing in the popularity chart, people should choose the next president based on the most important single criterion of “record of performance”. A lot of name tags have been ascribed to Bayani Fernando such as – ‘Hitler’, ‘Marcosian’, ‘fascist’, ‘Pink Panther’, ‘pink utopia’, ‘champion Celebrity Duet’, ‘Metro Guapo’, et cetera. This man others call patronizingly as “Bayani”, despite and in spite of these unkindly tabs – remains unperturbed.

In a much earlier random text poll done at that TV program, “Debate”, Bayani Fernando got 82% approval rating. In another poll of students called Peyups.com, a similar albeit much higher verdict was given for BF or a whooping 87.10% approval rating from a supposedly most vocal of demographic groupings. Another survey done on the Federation of Regional Development Councils indicates a patronizing approval for BF’s operations such as clearing of sidewalks, decongestion of traffic, optimizing use of roadways. Not to be left were the Metro Manila Mayors unanimously rallying behind the man.

BF’s logic comes handy. For him, the streets belong to the public and therefore no one has the right whatsoever to appropriate it upon himself. Thus, those who do so will have the law against them. To approach and resolve their predicament, what BF did was to provide ample enough space to accommodate them in public markets where rentals are cheap and affordable. This way, the buying public gets the quality and right quantity of stuff they should get in exchange of their money since sidewalk vendors have been known to cheat on their customers since they do business a la ‘guerilla’. This way, the problem of an ever growing ‘underground economy’ is likewise addressed as a logical end result.

Funny if one has to recall how a certain congressman (was it Augusto Syjuco?) threatened to oust BF because of his anti-vending policy except that the legislator failed to deliver on his 9 million signature campaign. But all the wrong public perception of BF is now working in the reverse. Most cities and provinces are now zealously replicating BF’s achievement in having transformed Marikina into an international city, the Metro Manila as a global megapolis and if given the chance, make the Philippines “great again”. Managing corporate RP is simply engineering all systems that work best.

Its very clear now, wala na talaga pag-asa makaahon ang pilipinas