Writing for Bloomberg View, William Pesek talks about the current state of play in the Philippines, as Benigno Aquino's presidential term winds down. Pesek is impressed with the accomplishments of Aquino but pessimistic about his possible replacements, most of whom have been accused of corruption of various sorts.
My experience with a culture very like that of the Philippines, on the island of Guam, suggests pessimism is warranted. What Westerners call "graft, nepotism and corruption" are the warp and weft of these cultures, essentially their organizing principles. Very difficult to counteract.
