Arroyo's lesson

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 11/01/2007 4:51 PM  |  Opinion

The Philippines and Indonesia are neighbors with much in common. The two are co-founders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and have in their respective histories overturned a dictatorship to advance democracy.

Both countries have had women presidents, something that has not happened in more established democracies like the United States.

Both the Philippines and Indonesia are still fighting poverty and separatism, although Jakarta seems to have been more successful with the latter, as evident in the signing of a peace agreement to end three decades of rebellion in Aceh in July 2005.

Indonesia, however, has a lot to learn from the Philippines when it comes to the anti-corruption drive. The list of state officials, businessmen, police and military officers prosecuted and jailed for graft has continued to grow in Indonesia, but those at the very top continue to remain untouched.

Emulating one of her predecessors, Corazon Aquino, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo dared to order an investigation into alleged corruption involving former president Joseph Estrada. This same courage guided Arroyo to pardon her predecessor, who was sentenced to seven years in jail.

Although critics have called the amnesty Arroyo announced last week a brazen display of political expediency, in the face of mounting corruption scandals in her own administration and cracks in the ruling coalition, with mounting calls for her impeachment, the Philippine president upheld the principle of equality before the law.

Aquino, the Philippine's first female president, set the example when she pushed for a graft trial for former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, although many viewed the Marcos trial more a consequence of the peaceful revolution of 1986.

That Estrada thanked Arroyo for his release and pledged not to join the move to oust her, House of Representatives Speaker Jose de Venecia called her an ally and the military pledged allegiance to her are political concessions Arroyo well deserves.

Like it or not, Arroyo, as well as Aquino, has taught Indonesian leaders to indiscriminately enforce the law against citizens, regardless of their status or contributions to the country.

The confusing investigation into alleged corruption involving former president Soeharto is and will remain a failing of a nation that vowed in the aftermath of Soeharto's resignation in 1998 to root out corruption. All four administrations since the fall of Soeharto have shown no commitment to bring the former dictator to trial.

Indonesian leaders have hidden behind the widely accepted norm that requires people to respect seniors when it's due, only to avoid the responsibility of upholding the law.

Soeharto himself played a large role in introducing this value, which he adopted from Javanese philosophy, when he spoke of his reluctance to bring his predecessor Sukarno to court in connection with the 1965 aborted coup.

There has been a visible countermove to portray Soeharto as a hero, including the decision by Golkar Party to honor the ailing former Army general. Golkar was Soeharto's political machine that helped him rule over the country for 32 years.

Of course, trying Soeharto will not solve the myriad problems facing Indonesia. Neither will people oppose giving him an amnesty if he were to be found guilty.

But as in many countries that declare war on corruption, including the Philippines, Indonesia is in need of tough leaders that can divide between law enforcement and respect.

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