Corruption has plagued the Philippines for so long that many Filipinos have resigned themselves to the notion that it will always be a part of everyday life. The seeds of corruption were planted as far back as the Spanish colonial times, when galleon ships smuggled goods into Manila from India, Southeast Asia and China. Officials were bribed to forego examination of goods to determine the amount of tax to be paid. The result was nothing less than widespread official corruption.

From then to modern times, corruption has scourged the nation. It has undermined development, hurt the poor, diminished the quality of public services

and raised the price of goods and services. Past presidents have attempted to weed out graft and corruption but were largely unsuccessful. Most recent efforts have been undertaken by President Benigno S. Aquino III. Much like his mother, Cory Aquino, who pursued graft and corruption against the Marcos regime, PNoy is leading the investigation into the alleged wheeling-and-dealings of his predecessor Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, her husband and other officials of her inner circle. 

While much attention is focused on high level corruption involving generals, politicians and businessmen, the problem is just as pervasive on the street where every day men and women bribe officers to overlook traffic violations. Such petty corruption must stop. Doing so is one way to start slowly turning things around.

The difference between corruption in the Philippines compared to the U.S. is that the risks are greater here in America. Could that be the answer for the Philippines—to create a system that makes corruption so high-risk that it will deter most people? The system should make it easy for its citizens to pay taxes, dues and fines with much less hassle…a system that makes corruption high risk, yet makes things less bureaucratic and easier for its citizens. That should be the collective long-term dream for the Philippines.

For the short term, we can only hope and pray that the Filipino people will continue to support PNoy and his administration. Their efforts are the best and most sustained attempt to date at rooting out corruption. The truth is, there is no easy solution on ending corruption. It will certainly require more than the efforts of one man—it will take the collective will of the Filipino people.

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A Familiar Face for City Council

While the Filipino community was abuzz with news of former Gov. Ben Cayetano’s decision to run for Honolulu mayor, a similar announcement by another candidate whose surname is recognized by many Filipinos failed to generate as much media attention. Former State Sen. Ron Menor’s kick-off campaign rally for City Council District 9 was well-attended, yet flew under the radar of local news media outlets. Granted, a Council election is not as high-profile as the mayoral race but some observers felt he deserved more.

An attorney by training, Menor is the son of the late Hawaii Supreme Court Justice Benjamin Menor—the first Filipino appointed to the Hawaii State Supreme Court and the first Filipino-American in the U.S. elected as a state senator. Menor followed his famous father’s footsteps into public service and in 1982 was first elected to the State House of Representatives. He served in both the House and Senate for over 20 years. Among his legislative accomplishments were gas price controls, cheaper prescription drugs, lower auto insurance rates, regulating health insurance and promoting renewable energy.

Menor’s political career hit a road bump in 2008 when a DUI arrest factored into an election day defeat several months later. Opponents and the media will more than likely use the incident to repeatedly black mark him. To Menor’s credit, he has come to grips with the DUI arrest and made amends. Family members, associates and former aides have noticed a striking difference in Menor’s demeanor since the incident. They say he has a new-found inner peace and purpose in life. He has also donated his time serving as legal counsel for Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD)

Does Menor deserve a second chance? Absolutely. Time and again, Hawaii voters have forgiven public officials who ‘fess up to their faults. Furthermore, should he win the election, Menor’s leadership and years of experience as a State legislator will prove invaluable as the Council makes key decisions on the future of rail, sewer and infrastructure improvements, landfill and other pressing matters.

It may be a bit early for the Chronicle to endorse a candidate but it is heartening for the Filipino community to see one of its own jump back into the race. It’s been said that before leading others, a man must first be able to lead himself. We like the positive change we’ve seen so far in Menor and hope that it continues.