POSITIVE CORRUPTION
By Wilhelmina S. Orozco
In a country that has seen colonialism, martial law and covert martial law under GMA rule, it is very difficult to discern what is a good political move from a bad one. What is good but that which redounds to the best of our people – the alleviation of their poverty, the strengthening of human rights and education for a moral type of living. What is bad but the opposite – all the undemocratic moves that deprive the people of our human rights, that which sink us deeper and deeper into debt, and that which leads most of the people to a life of penury, deprivation, if not prostitution of bodies and values.
The current situation of the present leadership is seesawing between these poles – that which is pulling it to a kind of administration that will be kind to the people, and another, that will make it practical enough – to make hay while in power. It is truly a very difficult situation because it has only existed less than a year and yet people expect much.
Yet gauging the speed with which it has acted in terms of saving our OFW compatriots in the Middle East and Africa, we can see that is truly concerned with the plight of the people. No matter how grievous the statements are of its detractors, it is earning high marks for its sincere acts of moving out the people from war– a case of life-and-death situation which only God perhaps would be able to stop.
How about our compatriots who are about to be executed in the communist People’s Republic of China for drug trafficking? Although the diplomatic officials were able to stay the execution by a few weeks, the result has not been good, as the PRC officials are adamant about executing them. Here we can see what type of leadership PRC has. It does not adhere to a democratic rule but instead imposes its will on every individual, including appropriating the life of any individual who transgresses its human-made laws.
Is it a case of atheism, not believing that there is a higher power who controls all living things and people? Or is it a case of believing that they are the first and last to judge all acts of human beings in their territory? Is that not some form of megalomania?
I believe that the death penalty should be eradicated in all countries, and that the UN has to impose in order to call any country worthy of being a part of it. Any country which chooses to impose death penalty must pay a fine for every execution it makes to be given to the family. Not giving any individual a chance to reform at all and cutting off the life is an act that is not human anymore. The UN is supposed to be an organization of human beings upholding the dignity of every individual, from birth to death.
Worse yet, PRC even decries the use of force against Khadafy who has committed genocide against the Libyans. How can we ever appreciate PRC and all of its products when it condones genocide by its declaration pro-Khadafy? How else could PRC act to contain the murderous intentions and acts of the Libyan colonel if not by using force against his forces?
So here we can see the pressures on any kind of leadership to rise up and be appreciated for all of its moves. It is very difficult to be a leader indeed. It is not enough to cling to some ideals but a need also exists to be pragmatic. But ideals need not be sacrificed for pragmatism to rule.
For example, on the matter of this tit-for-tat – that of offering millions project funds in exchange for a vote to impeach the Ombudswoman, Merceditas Gutierrez. Was there a case of a surrender of ideals for using this move? Or was it just a case of pragmatism to sway the votes in favour of easing out MG so that all other anti-corruption cases could move in the Sandiganbayan?
In political circles which I was lucky to have joined, that move would be called positive corruption of the Congress representatives. It is positive because it has a desired positive result – that of unearthing the tools and corrupt people who have been propping up the system of governance in our country. This is like positive discrimination. We make a positive move to discriminate against men in order to raise the benefits for women. For example, we want equal number of women in the workforce – instead of the men lording it over all the time. So by increasing the number of women, we are decreasing the number of men in the workforce.
Hence positive corruption results just the same to more funds for the people, that is granting that the Congress reps would truly use them to help the people.
I hope that intellectuals in this country would cling to idealism but then to also look at its downside if carried out in black and white terms. In the world of politics, anything, all methods are possible; but in the last analysis, any move should make us ask: will this benefit the people? Let us call it Machiavellian at this time, but then when you and I are up there, wouldn’t you use that knowing you have very little time to institute monumental changes in our society?
I think the past administration was Machiavellian to the point of even eliminating many of its critics, especially the media practitioners, only to sustain its ill-gotten powers. It is time to turn the tables now. Resurrect Machiavelli to remove those corrupt officials including the Ombudswoman. I may be pro-women but not to a woman who is only a woman in women’s clothing. For a true woman does not forget nor turn away from her maternal feelings – and as a political official – that of caring for those who have been oppressed by the corrupt officials and employees whose cases for their removal, sanction and indictment have been languishing on her desk.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
ENEMY OF DEMOCRACY
Enemy of Democracy: The Authoritarian Mind
By Wilhelmina S. Orozco
The authoritarian mind still lurks around the world, now concentrated in Libya. The acts of Ghadafy to the Libyans reflect that mind that has gone berserk ready to use all annihilating forces and means just to be able to hold on to power.
We have had our share of authoritarian minds way back in the 80’s and well into
The irrational obsession with maintaining political power at all costs means the individual possesses an authoritarian mind. Our colonial history of Spanish and American colonization show how the foreign forces used all kinds of manipulation and strangulation devices in order to make the revolutionaries surrender and to instill blind obedience to their rules. Worse yet, the Spanish conquerors connived with the Americans to continue our being under colonial rule for US $200 million dollars in 1998.
However, time changes everything so much so that some benevolent governors and foreign rulers were sent here to be kinder to the people, and eventually, we were freed from one colonial rule to the other. But the kind of democracy that the Americans handed down to the people was not strong enough to counter all forms of authoritarian minds. From 1946 when the American flag was brought down and the Philippine flag was raised up, to 1972, or 26 years after, we were back to a lowly state, with the imposition of Marcos dictatorial rule.
And Marcos indeed showed three glaring characteristics of that authoritarian mind: a hankering for omnipotence – making his face and the faces of his family ubiquitous in every corner of our life, from children’s elementary books to T-shirts, newspapers and other media; and using militaristic force to make the people toe all of his self- and subalterns-written presidential decrees. And to counter his powers, the people resorted to all kinds of propaganda – mimeographed papers slid secretly into homes and offices, lightning rallies, shooting incognito and using Church resources to distribute films and other critical writings, as well as using pseudonyms just so we could make the people see the other side of life – that of breathing freedom and exercising our fullest potentials in thinking, speaking out and acting on our lot.
What is obvious in the authoritarian mind is that hierarchical structure which feeds the control powers. By having underlings ready to bow and kowtow to every whim and caprice, the authoritarian is able to maintain power no matter how undemocratic. Just look at the countries in revolt now in Africa and the Middle East. Seating powers have been there for decades and the desire of their peoples for changes is meeting all kinds of obstacles from the use of tear gas to outright bombing, which means annihilation of life. Obviously, an authoritarian mind cannot exist on its own. It is also bred by a fearful people whose fears freeze their minds and bodies to act as human beings. They become puppets and robots to the machinations of the authoritarian. However, once they remove their fears, the people could always overturn the forces of oppression and bring about a new life for themselves as our history of People Power in 1986 not and never the Edsa Dos, had shown.
Another trait of the authoritarian is that need to manipulate people and events for his or her own selfish ends. Any reaction to that is dealt with severely, either by reduction of budgetary allocations, abolition of institutions or structures that nurture democratic inclinations such as the complete takeover of media during the first years of martial rule in the Philippines, or eventually, the use of violent forces to arrest, jail, murder secretly, or to exile the so-called “recalcitrant” person or group. No corner of the land is free from its tentacles to hold on to power permanently.
Unspeakable cruelty
The third and possibly the worst trait of the authoritarian mind is unspeakable cruelty. It shows no mercy to its victims, as it is ready to use all tools and devices to show that it is in control and in power, that the people have to follow every step it commands to be done, and for everyone to align and subsume all thoughts to how it thinks. Just imagine how Hitler created concentration camps during WWII in order to obliterate the Jews and to uphold the Aryan race. Do we remember how GMA used the budget to feed the rapacious appetites of the military that propped her up through all of her 9 years in power, despite the protests against her fake ascension to power and the moves to impeach her twice in the legislature? The current investigations of the generals who had pasalubong and pabaon during term of office are now unearthing those acts of her.
This kind of ruthlessness of the authoritarian can be more easily gleaned from the way it uses resources. It puts a premium on military budgets rather than for those that will promote the well-being of the people, like education, health and social welfare. (To show its adherence to democratic rule, I hope that within the year, the Department of Social Welfare will have had a permanent policy and program for dealing with vagrants in all the MetroManila cities. Allowing them to roam and sleep at any corner while government officials travel in first class vehicles is a blot to the record of any ruling democratic party.)
Maybe in our case, a part of the Third World, authoritarians who passed our political scenes were able to do their will is because the gap between the educated and the uneducated was too big. More people were pragmatic rather than idealistic – living for that idea of freedom. And so, Marcos was able to harness the government resources to create a huge number of followers who could readily be united– loyalist urban poor –to march for him, ride buses and show up at his rallies to show later on in media that he enjoys popularity among the people.
Are authoritarians beyond change? Or maybe we should just start educating the public on how to spot an authoritarian and correct him or her right away. Our elementary and high schools must encourage the creation of student councils and student newspapers so that the youth are able to practice on and exercise democratic methods and social responsibility right away. In the larger society, the rules for candidacies from local—the barangay - up to the national elections by the Commission on Elections should ensure democratic treatment of every candidate. The Comelec should be transparent and provide rational and legal reasons for denial of candidacies. I know for a fact that certain partylist groups shelled out large sums in order to be able to gain candidacies. Then, professional organizations must not allow corrupt practices such as manipulation of the election of officers within so as to perpetuate the rule of some vested interest-groups.
In conclusion, a permanent solution to preventing the occurrence of authoritarian minds in our midst is by having an educated and alert citizenry ready to act against any form of manipulation and domination, and skilled in assessing any person using a situation for garnering unbridled power.
By Wilhelmina S. Orozco
The authoritarian mind still lurks around the world, now concentrated in Libya. The acts of Ghadafy to the Libyans reflect that mind that has gone berserk ready to use all annihilating forces and means just to be able to hold on to power.
We have had our share of authoritarian minds way back in the 80’s and well into
The irrational obsession with maintaining political power at all costs means the individual possesses an authoritarian mind. Our colonial history of Spanish and American colonization show how the foreign forces used all kinds of manipulation and strangulation devices in order to make the revolutionaries surrender and to instill blind obedience to their rules. Worse yet, the Spanish conquerors connived with the Americans to continue our being under colonial rule for US $200 million dollars in 1998.
However, time changes everything so much so that some benevolent governors and foreign rulers were sent here to be kinder to the people, and eventually, we were freed from one colonial rule to the other. But the kind of democracy that the Americans handed down to the people was not strong enough to counter all forms of authoritarian minds. From 1946 when the American flag was brought down and the Philippine flag was raised up, to 1972, or 26 years after, we were back to a lowly state, with the imposition of Marcos dictatorial rule.
And Marcos indeed showed three glaring characteristics of that authoritarian mind: a hankering for omnipotence – making his face and the faces of his family ubiquitous in every corner of our life, from children’s elementary books to T-shirts, newspapers and other media; and using militaristic force to make the people toe all of his self- and subalterns-written presidential decrees. And to counter his powers, the people resorted to all kinds of propaganda – mimeographed papers slid secretly into homes and offices, lightning rallies, shooting incognito and using Church resources to distribute films and other critical writings, as well as using pseudonyms just so we could make the people see the other side of life – that of breathing freedom and exercising our fullest potentials in thinking, speaking out and acting on our lot.
What is obvious in the authoritarian mind is that hierarchical structure which feeds the control powers. By having underlings ready to bow and kowtow to every whim and caprice, the authoritarian is able to maintain power no matter how undemocratic. Just look at the countries in revolt now in Africa and the Middle East. Seating powers have been there for decades and the desire of their peoples for changes is meeting all kinds of obstacles from the use of tear gas to outright bombing, which means annihilation of life. Obviously, an authoritarian mind cannot exist on its own. It is also bred by a fearful people whose fears freeze their minds and bodies to act as human beings. They become puppets and robots to the machinations of the authoritarian. However, once they remove their fears, the people could always overturn the forces of oppression and bring about a new life for themselves as our history of People Power in 1986 not and never the Edsa Dos, had shown.
Another trait of the authoritarian is that need to manipulate people and events for his or her own selfish ends. Any reaction to that is dealt with severely, either by reduction of budgetary allocations, abolition of institutions or structures that nurture democratic inclinations such as the complete takeover of media during the first years of martial rule in the Philippines, or eventually, the use of violent forces to arrest, jail, murder secretly, or to exile the so-called “recalcitrant” person or group. No corner of the land is free from its tentacles to hold on to power permanently.
Unspeakable cruelty
The third and possibly the worst trait of the authoritarian mind is unspeakable cruelty. It shows no mercy to its victims, as it is ready to use all tools and devices to show that it is in control and in power, that the people have to follow every step it commands to be done, and for everyone to align and subsume all thoughts to how it thinks. Just imagine how Hitler created concentration camps during WWII in order to obliterate the Jews and to uphold the Aryan race. Do we remember how GMA used the budget to feed the rapacious appetites of the military that propped her up through all of her 9 years in power, despite the protests against her fake ascension to power and the moves to impeach her twice in the legislature? The current investigations of the generals who had pasalubong and pabaon during term of office are now unearthing those acts of her.
This kind of ruthlessness of the authoritarian can be more easily gleaned from the way it uses resources. It puts a premium on military budgets rather than for those that will promote the well-being of the people, like education, health and social welfare. (To show its adherence to democratic rule, I hope that within the year, the Department of Social Welfare will have had a permanent policy and program for dealing with vagrants in all the MetroManila cities. Allowing them to roam and sleep at any corner while government officials travel in first class vehicles is a blot to the record of any ruling democratic party.)
Maybe in our case, a part of the Third World, authoritarians who passed our political scenes were able to do their will is because the gap between the educated and the uneducated was too big. More people were pragmatic rather than idealistic – living for that idea of freedom. And so, Marcos was able to harness the government resources to create a huge number of followers who could readily be united– loyalist urban poor –to march for him, ride buses and show up at his rallies to show later on in media that he enjoys popularity among the people.
Are authoritarians beyond change? Or maybe we should just start educating the public on how to spot an authoritarian and correct him or her right away. Our elementary and high schools must encourage the creation of student councils and student newspapers so that the youth are able to practice on and exercise democratic methods and social responsibility right away. In the larger society, the rules for candidacies from local—the barangay - up to the national elections by the Commission on Elections should ensure democratic treatment of every candidate. The Comelec should be transparent and provide rational and legal reasons for denial of candidacies. I know for a fact that certain partylist groups shelled out large sums in order to be able to gain candidacies. Then, professional organizations must not allow corrupt practices such as manipulation of the election of officers within so as to perpetuate the rule of some vested interest-groups.
In conclusion, a permanent solution to preventing the occurrence of authoritarian minds in our midst is by having an educated and alert citizenry ready to act against any form of manipulation and domination, and skilled in assessing any person using a situation for garnering unbridled power.
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