You Wanna Be On Top? Philippines Ranks 115th In Corruption index

Photo source: Philstar.com

Hey everyone! Guess who's back to blogging after five years? Yep, that's right – and what better way to dive back in than exploring the perceptions of corruption in the Philippines and hope for a brighter tomorrow. It's good to be back! (A big thank you to Ruth Dalman for checking in and asking me when I'll be back blogging).

I stumbled upon this article from The Philippine Star talking about how the Philippines is doing in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI). The score went up a bit from 33 to 34 in 2023, but we're still below the global average of 43. We're hanging around 115th out of 180 countries, just a bit better than 2022's 116th place. The index looks at how people see corruption in the government, and a lower score is not good news. What's interesting is that lots of countries around the world are struggling with corruption, and most of them are scoring below 50. The Philippines has been stuck in this not-so-great ranking for a while.

So, what can we do about it? It seems like the Philippines need a big plan. It's not just about numbers; it's about leaders showing Filipinos how to do the right thing. Maybe we should start learning about good morals and ethics early on, like in school. Local communities, like local churches, could help band together and fight against corruption. We need the government to be more open about what they're doing and be accountable for it. And you know what? Prayer and thinking about the right thing to do should be part of making decisions too. It's time for us, the regular Filipinos around the world, to stand up and say no to corruption, with the help of groups who care about our country. And businesses? They need to be fair and ethical too, no room for cheating in the business and capitalists world. Let's team up and make the Philippines a place where doing the right thing is just how we roll to the top of the list.

Things You Need to Know Before Idolizing Marcos

Excellent piece of blogging. It sets the record straight on why former President Ferdinand Marcos doesn't deserve the adulation from many Filipinos. Below is an excerpt from "Things You Need to Know Before Idolizing Marcos."

 

When it comes to our country’s good, we don’t owe anyone a favor, whether it’s Marcos, Estrada, or Aquino. We are a nation who implored the aid of God to set up a government that reflects our ideals and aspirations—ideals that are pure and chaste. But with our little education and feeble minds we were deceived by these people to trust them with our hands, minds, and pockets. Now that we know better, are we still going to trust our country’s good to these kinds of people and their offspring?

We owe it to ourselves to setup a good government and bring about a better nation. Hence, we shouldn’t elect strongmen (or women) to save us from ourselves and each other. We MUST save ourselves by being respectful of the covenants we made with ourselves and others: by respecting our laws against cheating, lying, stepping on each other’s rights (among others) and by upholding our laws that promote peace, community, cooperation, wealth-sharing, and mutual growth.

More than ever, we are the heroes who can save this nation. If only we remember and never forget.

Read more: Epi Fabonan III, The Social Scientist

Philippines: Arrest Warrant Issued for Former President Arroyo

If and when Arroyo is finally arrested, it would be the first real step for Filipinos in our quest for justice after nine years of her tumultuous reign. She faces several complaints pending before the Department of Justice and the Office of the Ombudsman, ranging from electoral fraud, corruption and violations of human rights violations... Filipinos are happy that she would finally be compelled to explain for her many illegal acts when she was president.

Read more: Tonyo Cruz, Asian Correspondent

Is the Philippine DSWD hoarding relief goods?

Is the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) hoarding relief goods intended for victims of typhoon Ondoy and Pepeng inside its warehouse? According to a DSWD volunteer, Ella, a big yes and she's spreading the news about it all over cyber space.

My initial reaction was "hindi naman siguro" then naging "huwag naman sana." This is a serious allegation and its best to follow this report faily and get both sides of the stories first before jumping into any conclusions.

Cory is Sorry - What's up with that?

Dear Mrs. Aquino, I cant get over your apology. What's up with that? - Jason

I really like Cory Aquino and I consider Ninoy Aquino a personal hero but I can't contain my confusion on her public apology to former President Joseph Estrada for her involvement in the 2001 EDSA II rally that ousted Estrada from the presidency. Was she suggesting an Estrada administration is better than Arroyo? Why did Cory called for Estrada's resignation 7 years ago in the first place? Is the apology a stamp of approval on Estrada's past actions? I know she means well for publicly admiting her mistakes but I do hope its not a call to let Estrada get off the hook easily IF there are still some unresolved corruption charges on him. One thing that did come out from this is the positive show of humility and walang personalan attitude from Cory. Filipinos need to see such display of Christian values from influencial figures like her.

(image @ newsflash.org)