KASAUP

Reprinted from the April 7, 2009 issue of the Philippine Star

EDITORIAL - One small candle

Updated April 07, 2009 12:00 AM

In the dark days of martial law, the few brave souls who dared take on the all-powerful police state were inspired by the thought that even one lighted candle could pierce the darkness. It took several years and an assassination to rouse Filipinos and end their tolerance of state abuse.

But when it finally happened, a dictator found it impossible to make the people go back to their state of blissful apathy.

Today the apathy has returned. Though there is no lack of exposés on official wrongdoing, those implicated mostly go unpunished while whistle-blowers find their lives ruined. Congressional investigations lead nowhere. People power fatigue has set in, and the attitude when faced with corruption is, if you can’t lick ’em, join ’em.

It’s a nation that has stopped caring, or has it? There are groups that continue to put their faith in the goodness of the Filipino and his capacity for positive change. A so-called moral force movement has been mobilized, with another chapter formally launched yesterday. The man behind the movement, Chief Justice Reynato Puno, urged Filipinos to unite in fighting corruption, saying the nation had turned into a “moral pariah” in the eyes of the world.

The fight cannot be won overnight. Corruption has become firmly entrenched in Philippine society, and the battle must be waged all the way down to the grassroots. It will require a sea change in the people’s attitude toward politics, governance and the way public funds are utilized.

Corruption puts into the pockets of a handful of individuals funds that should be used for poverty alleviation and national development. It rewards mediocrity and prevents the development of a society where individual progress is based on merit and where the rule of law prevails.

This battle does not necessarily mean taking to the streets and bringing down the government, or exposing something that will warrant a congressional investigation. It could take the simplest form: saying no to a bribe, or turning down cash from candidates in elections. In the darkness, one small candle can cast a bright light.