THE PHILIPPINES: Corrupt Practices

One of the most impassioned critics of free and easy Philippine President Carlos Garcia is Congressman Sergio Osmeňa Jr.. 43, son of the wartime ex-President and himself a presidential prospect in next year’s election. Last month, after Garcia vetoed a bill nationalizing the Chinese-dominated rice and corn distribution. Osmeňa loudly accused Garcia of taking a $5,000,000 bribe from Chiang Kai-shek to veto the bill, thereby protecting Chinese businessmen in the Philippines. Stung by the blast, Garcia replied: “If the people believe that, I should be impeached. But if the charge is not true, then Congressman Osmeňa should be expelled.”

Congress showed little enthusiasm in rushing to Garcia’s defense. Though the President had declared “a total war against corruption” and picked incorruptible Dominador Aytona to clean up the Finance Department (TIME, June 20), he had briskly vetoed an anti-graft bill that made it a crime for the wife, or any other near relative of the President, Vice President or other top officials to “intervene directly or indirectly” in any transaction with the government. But Garcia controls Nacionalista Party purse strings, pressured Congress to set up a committee to investigate Osmeňa’s accusations.

Faced with backing up his charges, Osmeňa hedged, claimed he had not attacked Garcia directly, had in fact only repeated criticisms he had heard second hand. Said Osmeňa: “I felt it my duty to air these grievances with a view of securing remedial legislation.” Calling Osmeňa’s attack the “most scurrilous, malicious, reckless, irresponsible ever delivered in the House,” the committee recommended action against him.

Last week the House, by overwhelming majority, decided that Osmeňa had “profaned the sanctity and degraded the dignity of the House,” suspended him for 15 months. Delighted by his victory, Garcia used the occasion to push through a toothless anti-graft bill. But there were others who questioned Garcia’s good intentions. Said loyal Nacionalista Arturo Modesto Tolentino: “When relatives of a President are able to construct mansions overnight after that President comes to power, can we prevent suspicion on the part of the people that such sudden opulence has been acquired through that President? The effect is the weakening of public faith in that President himself, and nobody can take him seriously when he preaches against graft and corruption.” Even as Garcia gathered top Nacionalistas on his yacht to celebrate his victory, hard-working Finance Secretary Aytona was canceling an order for machinery because he discovered that a relative of his own worked for the importer and was starting to crack down on illegal tobacco imports. Said he, giving away perhaps more than he intended: “I have a job to do, and I’ll accomplish nothing by quitting. But until I’ve finished, I have to live with the devil.”