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  • Essay / The problem of corruption and its examples in the Philippines

    “There are enough things in the world to satisfy man's needs, but not enough to satisfy his greed”, as Mahatma Gandhi said . This statement explains that a man's needs in life can be considered sufficient when one is already satisfied with what he owns or has. On the other hand, the statement explains that there is no limit or extent to the greed of a human being due to dissatisfaction with what he has in his life and, in some cases, jealousy aroused by an individual comparing himself to those around him. Greed in a man can also be present due to the concept that human beings are self-centered by nature. This self-centeredness can lead a person to want more things—like power, money, fame, and food—for themselves. Corruption is like an apple that politicians love to chew for their own benefit and the more they consume, the more greed and evil corrupt them. It is seen that people in society and government officials gradually develop this excessive need for things which then leads the country to cases of graft and corruption which continue to be prevalent. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”?Get the original essayThe most famous corruption case in the country was the “pork barrel scam” which involved a businesswoman named Janet Napoles and numerous politicians accused of theft. $229 million from Philippine taxpayers' money. This scheme was carried out by creating fake non-governmental organizations into which the money would flow and which he and his accomplices won the $229 million. Napoles' former associate was the whistleblower and testified in a public hearing that Janet Napoles received so much money she would hide it in her own bathtub. Before being arrested, Napoles denied any involvement in the scheme and said her fortune came from her family's coal mining business in Indonesia. Napoles later said she distributed the funds to 120 current and former lawmakers. In February 2018, the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released a survey revealing that the Philippines was ranked 111th out of 180 countries, with a score of 34 out of 100, with 0 being the most corrupt country and 100 being the cleanest . The Philippines was also considered one of the most corrupt countries in the Asia-Pacific region. This may be due to the multiple forms of corruption that exist in the country. Tax evasion is the work of the private sector and businesses that refuse or underpay their taxes. Ghost projects or salaries made by civil servants are funded by the government with non-existent workers or projects. Nepotism in government pushes senior officials to give more allowances to those close to them. Due to police officers' low salaries, they are vulnerable to corruption because they file complaints and then accept money in exchange for not reporting someone who has broken the law. These examples show how much corruption exists around us without us even being aware of it. In 1989, a famous saying circulated among the public that corrupt officials pose "a greater threat to the country than communist guerrillas." on several occasions, are described as a terrorist group by President Duterte. A report by Global Financial Integrity was released in 2014 and showed that the Philippines lost about $410. 5 billion between 1960 and 2011, which at current exchange rates is equivalent to approximately 19.