Patronage politics: Likely root cause of corruption

The 1987 Constitution was meant to establish a democratic government, restore freedoms, protect civil and political rights and put safeguards against authoritarian rule.

- AMBASSADOR B. ROMUALDEZ

But almost four decades later, the Constitution has yet to live up to its promise of a transparent, accountable and corruption-free government that the Filipino people deserve.

Corruption has been around for decades, but the gargantuan levels we are seeing today in the flood control projects alone — running into billions of pesos and buried under technical jargon and complex procedures — has provided a gold mine for crooked politicians, corrupt government officials and unscrupulous contractors who know how to work around the system: insertions, kickbacks, under the table deals, ghost projects, padded contracts, substandard and defective projects — to steal billions of taxpayer money to line their pockets.

At the heart of this corruption is patronage politics where quid pro quos are the norm, with favors and other benefits given to political supporters or loyalists. For instance, government positions are handed out as rewards, resulting in inefficiency because expertise and credentials are overlooked in favor of political loyalty.

Others also point to the existence of political dynasties as a contributory factor to the corruption that we are seeing today. Article II, Section 26 was drafted by the framers of the Constitution precisely to prevent the proliferation of political dynasties. On paper, the words sound impressive: “The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law.”