If you keep calling corruption “normal,” you train yourself to accept it—and bad leaders feed on that silence and attention. In this article, Jef Menguin shares a simple playbook for what to do when you see the red flags: speak facts, starve the noise, choose one consistent civic habit, and vote like it’s personal. Apply it, then share it with your team so integrity becomes a daily practice, not a yearly rant.
After the flood, Joel did something he never planned to do.
He stopped scrolling.
For years, politics had been background noise—something loud, messy, and untouchable. But when his family died, it became personal. Not because he suddenly wanted to run for office. But because he realized this truth:
Ignoring red flags is also a decision.
Most Filipinos feel powerless when they see bad leaders rise. “Wala naman akong magagawa.” But that’s not entirely true. You may not control the system, but you still control four things. Small steps. Ordinary actions. Powerful when practiced consistently.
Step 1: Name the Red Flag—Out Loud
Silence protects bad leaders.
When Mayor Arman Delgado was exposed for ghost flood-control projects, many residents whispered about it—but avoided saying his name in public. He won again. Familiarity beat fear.
In another city, when Governor Elsa Montoya dismissed corruption allegations as “fake news,” a group of teachers started naming the issue clearly in PTA meetings: missing classrooms, fake suppliers, recycled contractors. No insults. Just facts.
Red flags lose power when they are named plainly.
Not in rants. Not in memes. In real conversations.
Your move: the next time a leader’s name comes up, say one clear sentence: “May issue siya sa _____, and hindi pa niya sinasagot.”
That’s not rebellion. That’s citizenship.
Step 2: Stop Lending Your Attention
Corrupt leaders survive on attention more than approval.
Councilor Benjie Cruz trended weekly—angry videos, dramatic speeches, endless reactions. Even critics kept sharing him. His visibility grew. So did his influence.
Contrast that with a small-town mayor, Lina Perez, whose questionable spending barely circulated because people chose to talk about alternatives instead—other candidates, community efforts, verified reports.
Attention is currency.
When you share without thinking, you pay them.
Your move: before sharing political content, pause and ask: “Does this inform—or just amplify?” If it’s noise, starve it.
Step 3: Choose One Small Civic Action—and Stick to It
You don’t need to do everything. You just need to do something consistently.
An OFW group in Qatar started with one habit: every month, they picked one local issue back home and verified it through two sources before discussing it. No shouting. Just clarity.
In a barangay in Laguna, a group of tricycle drivers attended budget hearings—not to speak, just to listen. Over time, officials noticed. Behavior changed.
Consistency beats intensity.
Democracy is maintained by boring, repeated actions.
Your move: choose one:
- Attend one public forum a year
- Follow one credible watchdog group
- Help one younger voter register and understand the issues
One lane. Walk it well.
Step 4: Vote Like It’s Personal—Because It Is
Joel used to vote based on name recall.
Now he votes with a checklist.
When Candidate Ricky Navarro asked for his support, Joel didn’t argue. He asked: “Anong tatlong gagawin mo sa first year?” “Anong hindi mo gagawin kahit popular?” “Sino ang hindi mo kukunin kahit kaibigan mo?”
The answers were… revealing.
Voting is not about loyalty. It’s about responsibility.
You don’t owe any politician your defense. They owe you their record.
Your move: before election day, write down three non-negotiables. If a candidate fails even one, move on.
No drama. No apology.
The Quiet Power of Ordinary Filipinos
You don’t need a platform. You don’t need a title.
What you need is the courage to stop normalizing what hurts us.
Floods, hunger, broken schools—these are not natural disasters. They are accumulated decisions.
And every time an ordinary Filipino names a red flag, withdraws attention, takes one civic step, and votes with intention, something shifts.
Not overnight.
But enough.
Start today: Pick one red flag you’ve been ignoring. Do one of the four steps—today.
That’s how change begins.
If you want Filipino values to show up as real behavior at work…
Let’s turn it into a culture shift experience.
→ Shift Experiences
