Impunity

Saturday, 15 September 2007

Former president convicted of plunder, my article for Global Voices. Join the Yehey! Message Boards: Joma Sison arrest, abolition of fraternities and Impeaching Abalos.

During the canvassing of the 2007 elections, discrepancies in voting results were excused by election officials as ‘clerical errors.’ But most ‘clerical errors’ in the canvassing were curiously in favor of administration candidates. No doubt, the term ‘clerical error’ will be recognized as one of the most memorable quotes of the year. It could also be the new name of dagdag-bawas (vote padding and shaving), a tried and tested formula for election fraud.

I have another proposal for the political word of the year which is also related to the widespread cheating in the last elections: impunity.

Like global warming, the word impunity was esoteric or unknown to most Filipinos a few years ago. But thanks to political groups which favor the use of the word impunity to describe the state of lawlessness, violence and government wrongdoings in the country, many Filipinos are now familiar with the term.

Grolier defines impunity as “immunity to or exemption from punishment.” But Filipinos have appropriated a broader meaning for the word. It is now associated with assassination of journalists, extrajudicial killings involving leftist activists, poll fraud and corruption. Impunity is a loaded political term in the Philippines.

Journalist groups were among the first to highlight the ‘growing culture of impunity’ linked to the unsolved murder cases of journalists. The Philippines holds the distinction of being recognized as the freest press in Asia and at the same time, one of the most dangerous countries for journalists. There may be little or no censorship of the press, but many journalists in the provinces are silenced forever.

More than 800 leftist activists have been gunned down by unknown assassins since President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo assumed power in 2001. The left blames the military and police for the rise of extrajudicial killings. The government points to the armed left as the real culprits behind these dastardly acts. A bishop rejects the term extrajudicial killing since this assumes judicial killing is tolerated. A columnist from Manila Times proposes a new name for the killings of activists and journalists: impunity killings.

More than a week ago, business groups coalesced and issued a joint statement in reaction to anomalous government transactions. Their manifesto was published in major newspapers as a paid advertisement. Below are excerpts from the statement:

“We are appalled that the culture of impunity among certain government officials appears to have spread to an extent exceeding that of all past administrations. This impunity seems also increasingly evident in many agencies of government…We join (the journalists) and encourage others in expressing public outrage at these questionable acts and the growing culture of political impunity.”

This was a strong indictment of the corruption that pervades the current administration. Some of the groups behind this initiative are influential groups like the Makati Business Club, Management Association of the Philippines and Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines.

Apparently, there is also impunity among politicians involved in dubious deals. The contract in question is the mysterious National Broadband Network project between the Philippine government and ZTE Corporation, a Chinese company.

Business groups are up in arms over the deal which scholars describe as unnecessary, overpriced and one-sided in favor of ZTE. They also question the lack of public bidding for the project. They are suspicious about the role of Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos who helped in endorsing the deal with the government. It seems Mr. Abalos is guilty of fomenting impunity in two fronts: electoral fraud and corruption.

The concern of business groups about the extent of impunity as “exceeding that of all past administrations” is a bold criticism of the Arroyo government. What scandals could they be referring? Maybe they haven’t forgotten the fertilizer scam, the Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard, Jose Pidal, Hello Garci, IMPSA, Jancom and Piatco. Maybe they want satisfactory answers from JocJoc Bolante, Nani Perez and Virgilio Garcillano. It’s normal for citizen groups to demand transparency and accountability from public officials.

Fortunately, the case of convicted plunderer and former president Joseph Estrada illustrates a legal avenue to seek redress from cases of impunity. Now is the right time to prepare a case that would end the “growing culture of political impunity” in the current government. Hopefully, business groups will also raise the issue of human rights violations in the country.

Related entries:

Militant
Killing fields
Mirror on the wall
Pagmumuni-muni ng kandidato