What can a little T-shirt do?

MANILA: First, let me tell you where "Huwag Kang MagPAnakaw" is coming from. "Challenging the system: 'Huwag kang magnakaw.'" – CBCP News (14 December 2014, cbcpnews.com):

Has corruption become so much a part of the Filipinos' way of life that there's no hope of turning back? Is the impulse to lie, to steal so deeply embedded in the nation's psyche it already lies beyond its collective power to uproot it? Against this seemingly insurmountable odd, a Catholic Vincentian priest confidently says, "No!"

While lamenting that the Philippines has practically become a country of thieves, from the highest bureaucrat who dip (his) fingers in the taxpayers' coffers, down to the grade-schooler who copies his classmate's homework, Fr Nonong Fajardo expresses optimism that with enough will and determination, Filipinos can transform themselves into a nation that puts a premium on honesty and integrity.

I think that "While lamenting that the Philippines has practically become a country of thieves" is quite unkind to a majority of the Filipinos who will then not listen to what else is there for Fr Nonong to say. No Sir. What do you think of the corruption in China, in Russia, in Europe, in the United States? What do you think of the worldwide corruption intimated in The Panama Papers? If we have become a country of thieves, there is no hope for us. I am not willing to accept that. I have faith in many a Filipino!

Let us simply talk about the corrupt politicians.

"What's with the 'Huwag kang magnakaw' shirts?" – Betheena Unite & Rachel Joyce E Burce (21 December 2014, mb.com.ph):

It’s not just a shirt; it’s a way to help reform a culture that tolerates stealing as part of life. That is the aim of a shirt with the words “VII. Huwag kang magnakaw,” which was cited by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle at the first “Simbang Gabi” mass last week. A group of young parishioners wearing the shirts were asked to go around the church “as a way to remind mass-goers not to steal.”

"Huwag kang magnakaw" is for those politicians who steal, not for those people "who tolerate stealing as part of life."

There is on Facebook a webpage "Huwag Kang Magnakaw" that shows a picture of, among others, Cardinal Antonio Tagle (web.facebook.com). "Don't steal" is the 7th Commandment of God believed by Christians. These are the entries there:

"Don Bosco sisters of DBS Manila supporting the Huwag Kang Magnakaw advocacy for moral and cultural transformation" – Atilano Nonong Guzman Fajardo (with photos from Don Bosco).

"Education Committee composed of the parents and teachers of the Don Bosco School Manila supporting the Huwag Kang Magnakaw movement for national moral and cultural transformation" – Atilano Nonong Guzman Fajardo (with photos from Don Bosco)

President of the Catholics Bishop Conference of the Philippines & Lingayen Archbishop Socrates Villegas is defining corruption in many different senses (ANN, undated, Politiko, politics.com.ph).  I will leave them to him: stealing from public funds, abortion, murder, adultery, contraception, vulgarity. I want to define corruption in only one sense, in the realm of public service.

I'm a Roman Catholic, but I do think that "Huwag Kang Magnakaw" is appropriate for politicians who are running for office in this May elections and who are known to be corrupt, while I think my T-shirt is appropriate for voters who are thinking of selling their votes (see image above):

"Huwag Kang MagPAnakaw." Magpanakaw means, literally, invite to steal or allow to be stolen. Don't invite to steal. Don't allow to be stolen.

If you are thinking of selling your vote, you are in fact allowing your vote to be stolen for a fee. I say this is not corruption but the other way around – this is the people making the politicians corrupt by offering their votes for sale. There are no corrupt politicians if no one allows himself to be corrupted, even a "lowly" clerk. The corrupt don't make themselves corrupt – it is the people who sell their services (or votes) that make corrupt politicians.

As it turns out, unlike what the ladies above say, we do not tolerate stealing – we encourage it. I want to turn the tirade of corruption from the politicians to the people, as I believe that the sin of corruption begins with the corrupter, not the corrupt:

The people are the corrupters; they are the ones who create corrupt politicians.

The corrupter is the bigger sinner. If Jejomar Binay is corrupt, how many Makati City staff and businessmen corrupted him?

"Walang mahirap kung walang korap." There are no poor if there are no corrupt. That is not correct. This is correct: "Walang mahirap kung walang nagkokorap." There are no poor when there are no corrupters. If we want to solve a problem, we must remove the cause, not the effect. The people are the corrupters, the cause; the politicians are the corrupt, the effect.

Corruption starts like any of these 3 examples:

One: You drive your car through a red light. When you are apprehended, you don't want to be inconvenienced by having to go to the traffic office to get back your license, so you get out your driver's license and enclose with it a P500 bill. The policeman smiles at you, you smile back, and you go scot-free. You have just created your first corrupt public official.

Two: You want to register a cooperative with the CDA, and you know that your group is bogus, so you pay your way up table by table until your application gets approved. You have just corrupted so many public officials.

Three: There is a bidding for the construction of a government building. You are a bidder. You pay out the bidding committee to approve your bid. You have just corrupted a bidding committee, including the Mayor.

For corruption, I blame the corrupters first, the corrupt last.

The creators of corruption are the people, not the politicians. We the people corrupt them, and then we blame them for being corrupt!

The corrupters, the people, are the tempters, the little devils.

This election, the politicians will be stealing your votes from you because you are encouraging them to, for some ready cash. And then you complain of corruption, which is of your own making. For national moral and cultural transformation, I say:

People, don't sell your votes!
Stop corrupting people!
Stop corrupting, people!