What is corruption?

[Jeff]

SO THE PEOPLE MAY KNOW....Various authorities offer definitions of corruption. Transparency International (an organization committed to fighting corruption all over the world) defines it as ‘the misuse of entrusted power for private gain’. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as a willingness ‘to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain’. However, the fact that there are different types of corruption makes it difficult to arrive at a single all-encompassing definition. There is a difference between bribing an official to do something legal (e.g. bribing a civil servant to speed up the process of acquiring a document of some sort) and bribing an official to do something illegal (e.g. bribing a teacher to give you a good mark in an exam when in fact you didn’t pass).

Why does it happen?

There are various reasons why corruption takes place and takes hold. Sometimes it is due to the fact that officials are simply not paid very much and so they need to supplement their salaries with money from bribes. Sometimes the bureaucratic system is set up in such a way that officials simply refuse to carry out their duties unless they are ‘encouraged’ by being offered bribes. In other cases it is actually part of the tradition and culture of a country to give and receive ‘gifts’ in order to get anything done. In some cases companies from less corrupt countries allegedly engage in bribery in order to do business in countries where corruption is the norm, otherwise they would not be able to operate successfully in those countries. It can be argued that if such companies did not bribe officials in the necessary countries then the economies of those countries would suffer because fewer companies would invest in them, thus making them poorer. On a smaller scale corruption is often just a result of people’s natural desire to ‘beat the system’. Mostly, corruption occurs in environments where it is tolerated and where the temptation is too strong to resist.

How does it affect us?

First and foremost paying bribes costs money, obviously, so it leaves you out of pocket. It can also cost people their health, if they cannot afford to bribe the necessary officials to receive medical treatment, or even, in extreme cases, their freedom or their lives. The economy and infrastructure of the whole country can suffer if officials and politicians are siphoning off funds intended for road-building, new schools and hospitals etc. in an effort to line their own pockets.

How can we fight it?

Obviously, the ordinary person in the street who tolerates a corrupt system would need to make a stand, refuse to pay bribes and blow the whistle on corrupt officials. Easier said than done in many cases! However, there are international organizations who are fighting to reduce corruption on a global level, with some measurable success – Transparency International, for example.

Ultimately, a significant reduction in corruption could be achieved if all sections of society (political, commercial and civil) worked together with common aims to achieve it.

[justme]

SO THE PEOPLE MAY KNOW....Various authorities offer definitions of corruption. Transparency International (an organization committed to fighting corruption all over the world) defines it as ‘the misuse of entrusted power for private gain’. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as a willingness ‘to act dishonestly in return for money or personal gain’. However, the fact that there are different types of corruption makes it difficult to arrive at a single all-encompassing definition. There is a difference between bribing an official to do something legal (e.g. bribing a civil servant to speed up the process of acquiring a document of some sort) and bribing an official to do something illegal (e.g. bribing a teacher to give you a good mark in an exam when in fact you didn’t pass).

Why does it happen?

There are various reasons why corruption takes place and takes hold. Sometimes it is due to the fact that officials are simply not paid very much and so they need to supplement their salaries with money from bribes. Sometimes the bureaucratic system is set up in such a way that officials simply refuse to carry out their duties unless they are ‘encouraged’ by being offered bribes. In other cases it is actually part of the tradition and culture of a country to give and receive ‘gifts’ in order to get anything done. In some cases companies from less corrupt countries allegedly engage in bribery in order to do business in countries where corruption is the norm, otherwise they would not be able to operate successfully in those countries. It can be argued that if such companies did not bribe officials in the necessary countries then the economies of those countries would suffer because fewer companies would invest in them, thus making them poorer. On a smaller scale corruption is often just a result of people’s natural desire to ‘beat the system’. Mostly, corruption occurs in environments where it is tolerated and where the temptation is too strong to resist.

How does it affect us?

First and foremost paying bribes costs money, obviously, so it leaves you out of pocket. It can also cost people their health, if they cannot afford to bribe the necessary officials to receive medical treatment, or even, in extreme cases, their freedom or their lives. The economy and infrastructure of the whole country can suffer if officials and politicians are siphoning off funds intended for road-building, new schools and hospitals etc. in an effort to line their own pockets.

How can we fight it?

Obviously, the ordinary person in the street who tolerates a corrupt system would need to make a stand, refuse to pay bribes and blow the whistle on corrupt officials. Easier said than done in many cases! However, there are international organizations who are fighting to reduce corruption on a global level, with some measurable success – Transparency International, for example.

Ultimately, a significant reduction in corruption could be achieved if all sections of society (political, commercial and civil) worked together with common aims to achieve it.


uhhmm! how can we achieve a significant reductin in corruption if almost all sections in the society refuse to work together? and if ever they work together, i think it's for the purpose of corruption and bribery..hehehehe...birds of the same feathers flock together, right?

another thing, its really tough fighting corruptin here in our country. As you can observe even candidates for SK positions engaged in bribery and corruption...see the trend in politics ?


let's just hope bad guys disappear from their seats....hehehehe...kahit pa daw magreklamo tayo ng magreklamo di pa rin natin mababago tong bulok na systema ng Pilipinas...no wonder why some of the Filipinos left the country for good!:confused:

[Jeff]

It is a slow process and it should begin in ourselves then towards our offspring. Practice makes perfect.

[KillerQueen]

Do you really believe in what you post Jeff/Jing? I hope and pray you're not paying a lip-service to the issue/thread. Again, am wondering, to what extent are you gonna go to expose, to stop if not to minimize corruption in our government?

[Jeff]

Of course! Why is there a problem of what I said? Thus it bother you?


Do you really believe in what you post Jeff/Jing? I hope and pray you're not paying a lip-service to the issue/thread. Again, am wondering, to what extent are you gonna go to expose, to stop if not to minimize corruption in our government?

[Jeff]

Ang corruption ay nag umpisa yan sa mismong pamamahay natin, kung namamalayan nyo. Take a look, mga anak natin para gumana o gagalingan nila ang kanilang pag aaral sinanay natin sila bigyan ng regalo o bigyan ng P10 or mahigit kung makakakuha ng mataas na marka sa eskwelahan. Isa pa, sinanay nating ang ating mga anak na kung anong hinihingi ay kusa natin binigay lahat na kung pagdating ng panahon sa taghirap hindi na nila kaya magtiis o hindi nla naintindihan ang kahirapan kaya paglaki nila gumagawa na ng paraan para kumita kahit sa hindi tama. Maraming dahilan pinag umpisahan ang corruption na nakasanayan na at mahirap ng sugpuin.

Kung mayron mang dapat baguhin ay dapat umpisahan sa pamamhay natin!!


uhhmm! how can we achieve a significant reductin in corruption if almost all sections in the society refuse to work together? and if ever they work together, i think it's for the purpose of corruption and bribery..hehehehe...birds of the same feathers flock together, right?

another thing, its really tough fighting corruptin here in our country. As you can observe even candidates for SK positions engaged in bribery and corruption...see the trend in politics ?


let's just hope bad guys disappear from their seats....hehehehe...kahit pa daw magreklamo tayo ng magreklamo di pa rin natin mababago tong bulok na systema ng Pilipinas...no wonder why some of the Filipinos left the country for good!:confused:

[KillerQueen]

Of course! Why is there a problem of what I said? Thus it bother you?

Got ya!
Am glad that you’re also against corruption in the government. But what bothers me is the thought that you are for the eradication of corruption and yet you favor the rehabilitation of the BNPP. Look, from the very beginning of that BNPP project it was tainted with anomalies. Rehabilitating it could be another source of corruption. That is a fact that until now Rep. Cojuangco has not addressed.
It bothers me in the sense that you’re kind of lecturing what can be done to eliminate if not to minimize corruption and yet you’re in favor of rehabilitating a corruption-laden project which could be and certainly would be another breeding ground for corruption.
It bothers me in the sense that you put more weight on the technical aspect (back by your technical expertise?) of rehabilitating the BNPP over the moral decay brought about by the corruption that you’re against with.
As the cliché goes, “ano ba talaga Kuya?”
Pax vobiscum. Pacem para bellum.

[acpatagnan]

In computer, a file is considered corrupt when its data is diluted with other file or data or envaded by virus or script; no longer in its original form. The same thing happened to the human mind or consciousness. our mind is the only tools of knowledge, tools of cognition, and there is no other. The only thing that will corrupt the mind is the false teaching or philosophy. Religion is a primitive form of philosophy; it advocates belief in supernatural without any basis or proof; it is a form of superstition. Thus, I can say that the very root of corruption started in the mind by the supertitious belief that contradicts the very function of the faculty of knowledge. The source of corruption is religion. In the Philippines, government official are all religious people, educated in religious schools. Religion entervened government ONLY proper functions.

[Jeff]

You know what? you really misunderstood me regarding the issue of BNPP which I believed you made a deep research. I never said I am in favor of raising it from hell due to some irregularities, but technically speaking since I am a Technical Man Madam I just made some suggestion. This is what I want to tell you, don't expect everybody is ok of what you said here, we are not in the same wavelength, you blogg we comment but never expect we believe in you all the way.

With regards to this blogg. NO one likes corruption, no one. Now if you are fighter against corruption. Make a noise, go to courts and maybe we will support you ate hehehe.

Regards



Got ya!
Am glad that you’re also against corruption in the government. But what bothers me is the thought that you are for the eradication of corruption and yet you favor the rehabilitation of the BNPP. Look, from the very beginning of that BNPP project it was tainted with anomalies. Rehabilitating it could be another source of corruption. That is a fact that until now Rep. Cojuangco has not addressed.
It bothers me in the sense that you’re kind of lecturing what can be done to eliminate if not to minimize corruption and yet you’re in favor of rehabilitating a corruption-laden project which could be and certainly would be another breeding ground for corruption.
It bothers me in the sense that you put more weight on the technical aspect (back by your technical expertise?) of rehabilitating the BNPP over the moral decay brought about by the corruption that you’re against with.
As the cliché goes, “ano ba talaga Kuya?”
Pax vobiscum. Pacem para bellum.

[Jeff]

How are you Mr. Acpatagnan, it's been a long time. Anyway, what you said is right however, again as what you said that religion is a primitive form of philosopy, you know already my stand about it. RELIGION in other form maybe you are correct but speaking of Christianity is different.

Say something about corruption the good the bad and ugly and we will discuss it here kahit arawarawing pa natin.

By the way regards...


In computer, a file is considered corrupt when its data is diluted with other file or data or envaded by virus or script; no longer in its original form. The same thing happened to the human mind or consciousness. our mind is the only tools of knowledge, tools of cognition, and there is no other. The only thing that will corrupt the mind is the false teaching or philosophy. Religion is a primitive form of philosophy; it advocates belief in supernatural without any basis or proof; it is a form of superstition. Thus, I can say that the very root of corruption started in the mind by the supertitious belief that contradicts the very function of the faculty of knowledge. The source of corruption is religion. In the Philippines, government official are all religious people, educated in religious schools. Religion entervened government ONLY proper functions.