"Don't steal. The government hates competition."
The bumper sticker spotted on a Manila street is a reminder of two things -- elections are coming to the Philippines next May and the level of cynicism is as high as ever.
It has been nearly two decades since Imelda Marcos's enormous shoe collection thrust corruption in the Philippines into the world spotlight.
Much has changed. But the vibrant democracy barely disguises the fact that corruption remains a festering sore for Filipinos and foreign investors in a country where businesses routinely add 20 percent in bribes for government contracts.
Sheila Coronel, executive director of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, said the government -- even with the best intentions -- does not have the resources or power to launch the necessary all-out attack on corruption.
"The bureaucracy has had a history of riding out administrations," she said. "They know they will be there for a long time, whereas presidents will only be there six years."
Graft watchdog Transparency International ranks the Philippines as Asia's fourth-worst in terms of perceptions of corruption, on a par with Pakistan.
And the need for money -- for both government candidates and the opposition -- is getting more intense as local, congressional and the presidential elections scheduled for next May draw near.
A brazen daylight raid by armed men on Citibank's main branch in Manila last month was one of a rash of recent bank robberies that are widely seen as attempts to bankroll campaigns.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who vaulted from vice president after graft allegations brought down Joseph Estrada in 2001, has said she will not run next year. But many believe she is merely biding her time before declaring her candidacy.
Arroyo's campaign
Arroyo has launched a high-profile drive to stamp out corruption in the bureaucracy, particularly the notoriously lax customs and tax departments.
But even she concedes that the problems are deep-rooted. And her own image as a graft-buster is in danger from allegations by an opposition senator that her husband, Mike, squirreled away US$4.7 million in campaign funds.
"Lifestyle checks" are being carried out on officials who may have too many flashy cars or holiday homes for their salaries.
Tax evasion, which has become a way of life here, is also in Arroyo's sights. Teams of investigators in red T-shirts swoop on shops to check whether they are issuing receipts.
"I've never seen it in my whole life until recently," said Johnny Co, country head for ANZ Bank.
Economists are impressed by the marked improvement in tax revenues this year, which has also translated into a budget deficit that seems to be under far more control than last year.
"If you look at the revenue outcome this year, it's clear that something has happened," said one financial diplomat, who asked not to be identified.
"There is certainly a long distance to go."
Not angels
But many question whether Arroyo's anti-graft campaign has real bite or is aimed more at winning over voters who are clearly sick of widespread corruption and blubbery bureaucracy.
"Lifestyle checks alone will not solve corruption in the bureaucracy," Coronel said.
"It's a very good way of getting publicity and generating awareness about the problems in the bureaucracy, but you need a systemic approach."
Arroyo's task is nothing less than changing a culture where public office has long been seen as a ticket to personal wealth.
The prevailing philosophy seems little changed since Jose Avelino, Senate president in the 1950s, remarked famously: "We are not angels! What are we in power for?"
Most people who have done business in the Philippines for any length of time remain skeptical that Arroyo is doing any more than scratching the surface.
"It's like stopping polluting buses and jeepneys," said one foreign businessman, referring to the hulking public transport vehicles modelled on US army jeeps that rumble through Manila's smog-choked streets.
"They stop about 50 in one day and say: `Wow, we made a big catch today'. But then nothing happens for the next six months," he said.
Optimists can at least point to the fact that there is no lack of outrage about corruption, especially among the millions of poor it hurts most -- notwithstanding election hand-outs of a few pesos or some handfuls of rice for a vote.
It is the dominant story in local newspapers, whose outspoken columnists lament daily about the toll the rot takes on the country's morale and international standing.
At a recent anti-corruption protest, around one thousand protesters vented their frustration by bringing traffic to a halt with a noisy march through Manila's business district.
"We are here to express outrage with the only weapons we have -- our bodies and voices, our pots and pans," said Milette Morante, a spokeswoman for the protesters.
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