Today’s youth are very much concerned that there is widespread moral decay in our country today. They want to get involved and do their part in promoting higher levels of ethical consciousness in the academe, in business and in public service.
I found this out last week when I engaged the business students of the University of the East and other schools in the University Belt (San Beda, PSBA, FEU, CEU and TIP) in a dialogue on ethical dilemmas. This was the other half of a twin bill that also featured a talk on corporate governance by Mr. Gregorio Navarro, incoming President of the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX). The UE College of Business Administration and the FINEX ethics committee jointly sponsored the forum.
I began by sharing with them a simple definition of ethics from the Oxford dictionary, as follows: first, it is the science of morals in human conduct, and secondly, it focuses on moral principles, as in rules of conduct (say, medical ethics). Just to ascertain that they understood this basic definition, I posed to them a current-events question:
“The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) has revoked the license of Dr. Hayden Kho on grounds of alleged immoral conduct. What is your stand: is this justified?”
Two out of three students who volunteered to answer said they thought it was justified and that they thought Dr. Kho had, indeed, committed immoral conduct, in reference to the video clips from the Internet that allegedly portrayed him performing the sexual act with actress Katrina Halili and other partners.
One student disagreed, pointing out that it has not yet been legally established that Dr. Kho was, indeed, responsible for circulating the pornographic video clips. Moreover, he said, what he did was his personal act that was done in private, unlike the operation in a Cebu hospital where certain doctors willfully uploaded a video clip showing them making fun of a patient that was being operated on by their team.
The key issue is: what is moral? Again, I referred to the dictionary definitions, as follows: ‘moral’ is concerned with: a) goodness or badness of human character or behavior; and with b) accepted rules and standards of human behavior.
The concept of morality is best understood by looking at workaday ethical dilemmas. To cheat or not to cheat is the most common. While this is known to all, it is also easier denounced than avoided, especially when it involves cheating by one’s friends or group mates. The students acknowledged that they find it difficult to blow the whistle on their own friends. Among teachers, to coddle or not to coddle students is a common challenge. ‘Teacher’s pet’ is a phrase that has gained currency because there are students that are favored or given undue advantage other others. There may also be conflict of interest situations where a student is unfairly favored because he or she is a son or daughter of the professor’s friend or relative.
I also pointed out the danger of committing sexual harassment. We have an anti-sexual harassment law authored by the late Senator Raul Roco that is now more actively enforced in workplaces. When I served as President of University of Makati in the late nineties, I did what I could to promote a higher consciousness of the need to prevent sexual harassment in the classroom and campus. I urged our faculty members (especially the male professors) to avoid dishing out “green jokes” as these were also subtle forms of harassment against female students. Thanks to my lawyer-friends, I have memorized the conditions for sexual harassment to be committed by a teacher, and these are that a person with authority, influence and moral ascendancy does it.
What are the common ethical dilemmas in business?
Still fresh in the minds of the students and professors were the corporate debacles that preceded the collapse of Wall Street late last year --- an event that triggered a global financial crisis.
To bribe or not to bribe, to be ethical and to lose competitiveness were the ethical dilemmas that are commonly known and experienced. I reminded my audience that it takes two to tango: there is a bribe giver and a bribe taker. But then, of course, this happens within a context of moral decadence where corruption has become a way of life. It is regrettable that the Philippines ranks among the world’s most corrupt countries in periodic surveys conducted by reputable organizations.
Ethical issues in government are so well known, thanks to massive media coverage of high-profile corruption cases such as the ‘Hello Garci’ scandal involving President Arroyo and a former Comelec commissioner; the fertilizer distribution scam; the celebrated ZTE-NBN deal exposed by Messrs. Joey de Venecia and Rodolfo (Jun) Lozada; and the alleged distribution of paper bags containing hundreds of thousands of pesos to provincial governors called to Malacanang Palace.
In the face of such ethical challenges and dilemmas, what do we want to see happening?
I flashed two choices to the audience: a) Let’s have more of the same or business as usual; or b) Let’s set things straight and reject what is evil. The overwhelming choice was the latter alternative, especially since I framed it in the vernacular: ‘Itama ang mali, ituwid ang tiwali.’
While it’s easier said than done, ethical behavior is formed and developed as a result of constant practice. Indeed it is a discipline. The root word of discipline is disciple or follower? What and whom do we follow?
If we go by our faith, then we need to follow the Ten Commandments. I pointed out that all of the great religions of the world share a common belief in the Golden Rule that says: “Do unto others what you would have others do unto you.” According to the bible, this is also expressed in the second greatest commandment: “Love your neighbor as thyself.” But what is the first commandment? It is this: “Thou shall love God with all your mind, with all your heart, and with all your soul.”
This Christmas, wouldn’t it be good to commit to be good as our way of honoring Christ who is the reason for this season?
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