To say that our nation is in crisis is an understatement. The corruption and plunder surrounding the flood control projects are but symptoms of a deeper, more pervasive disease. Corruption has infiltrated government institutions both vertically and horizontally — and it has done so for far too long.
Decades ago, the International Monetary Fund outlined key strategies to combat corruption: 1) sound management of natural resources; 2) broad-based, labor-intensive economic growth;
3) efficient investment in education and healthcare; 4) effective targeting of social programs; and 5) equitable access to education.
These are sensible, textbook solutions. Yet the Philippine experience tells a different story — one where corruption has not only persisted but worsened.
At the heart of this deterioration lies a fundamental failure: weak legal enforcement. The rewards from corruption are extremely high, while the likelihood of corrupt officials being discovered, charged, arrested, convicted, and stripped of their stolen wealth remains dismally low. Thus, corruption has increased.
To truly end corruption and plunder, we must ensure that the guilty are held to account. They must be punished, imprisoned, and compelled to return what they had stolen. Restitution is not only a legal imperative, but a moral and biblical one as well. Monetary penalties and interest must be imposed. When honest citizens are late in paying their taxes and government fees, they are imposed penalties and interest. It follows that the same should be imposed, even more, on those who steal public funds. We should show these evil people that crime does not pay, and that the corrupt will always be made to pay severely.
But who will lead the charge?
It is naïve to expect that many of those currently in power will act. Who caused the crisis in the first place? The burden, therefore, falls on the people.
Citizens must speak out, protest, and collaborate with the principled in government to bring the corrupt to justice. We must demand speedy arrests, prosecutions, convictions, and the confiscation of ill-gotten wealth. We must reclaim what is ours. Power, after all, resides with the people — and it is our duty to wield it to correct what is wrong.
The road ahead will be long and arduous. Those guilty of corruption, along with their allies, will erect barriers to protect their interests and retain, or regain, power. We must begin now — today — and prepare for the 2028 elections. Expecting swift solutions is unrealistic. The surest path to restoring good governance is through democratic means.
However, democracy only works when the people are well-informed. We must educate our fellow citizens on how corruption harms us all, and how adherence to the laws of God and man will lead to a better life for us. We must elect leaders who are capable, honest, and God-centered.
Who shall these leaders be?
As it is written in Exodus 18:21: “Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.”
Finally, let us pray to the Lord for guidance and strength to carry us through this difficult journey, for only with Him can we succeed.