“Dili matandog”

EVERYDAY HEROES
by: JAMES “KOJAK” HUGHS

I did not know why, but on several occasions some Filipinos have apologized to me. One taxi driver in Cebu said he was sorry his country was so full of graft, corruption and dishonest people. On occasion some foreigners have remarked how graft and corruption permeates Philippine society at every level. They imply dishonesty is culturally engrained, a flaw unique to the Philippine people. I totally reject this concept. Dishonesty is a “human” flaw not a Filipino flaw. A flaw all of us fight everyday.

Some of you may remember a Kevin Costner – Sean Connery film titled “The Untouchables.” This movie was based on real events and real people. During the early part of the last century America went through its own period of graft, corruption and dishonesty. During those terrible years in America almost every policeman, every judge, every politician was corrupt.

Justice and public services were for sale to the highest bidder. It seemed like virtually no one was honest. The reason why Elliot Ness and his crew gained fame and were called the “Untouchables” is they could not be bought. They stood alone against this monsoon of corruption. Politicians could not fire them; judges could not threaten them and gangsters could not buy or scare them. They became America’s national heroes. “The Untouchables.”

One of the things I admired most about the Philippine culture is its strong sense of family, but that one laudatory characteristic makes it almost impossible for any politicians to eliminate graft and corruption. Your cousin may be a crook; but he is still :family.” If a politician put twenty or thirty crooks behind bars; he could almost be guaranteed not a get re-elected. A politician may want to do the right thing but they walk a thin line of pragmatic realities. One local politician tried to help the poor by giving them a chance to farm, to earn an honest living. Some people did not like this “radical” concept. The politician garnered some powerful enemies. Those enemies have now blocked that politician from any meaningful public service. In the political world it often is not about what is good or just but what those in power want.

They say “a wise man learns from his mistakes; a genius learns from the mistakes of others.” I would amend that with; “a genius also learns from the successes of others.” There are no “new” problems in the Philippines; no unique culturally engrained flaws. The problems that face the Philippine people are as old as human existence.

These problems have been solved many times in many countries. All we need to do is study history and adapt these solutions to the Philippine culture. Create our own people na “Dili Matandog.”