The Evils of Greed and Corruption (Why It Should Concern You)

[Commentary]

THE WORD "corruption" is once again splashed across the news, this time in connection with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and its flood-control projects. We’ve seen the headlines, we’ve shaken our heads, maybe even posted a rant online. And then, life goes on.

But here’s the hard truth most of us avoid: corruption isn’t only “out there” in Congress or behind closed doors of billion-peso contracts. It begins small. It begins close to home. And it begins with one poisonous root—greed.

The Trouble with Greed

Greed is more than just wanting money; it’s a relentless desire for “more”—more wealth, more power, more recognition—at the expense of others. Psychologists describe it as “an insatiable hunger that increases with consumption.” In other words, the more we give in to greed, the stronger it grows. Greed have no limits!

Studies from Princeton and Tilburg University show that greed is linked to dishonesty, lower empathy, and greater willingness to exploit others. People driven by greed often rationalize their behavior: “Everybody’s doing it,” or “This little bit won’t hurt.” But those “little bits” pile up into habits that shape character—and eventually, societies.

How Greed Turns into Corruption

Greed rarely begins with billion-peso scams. It starts with small compromises. A student cheats on a test. An employee fudges a report. A supplier inflates a receipt. Each act is justified as harmless, but together they create a culture where dishonesty becomes normal.

And when greed finds its way into positions of power, the stakes multiply. Entire projects—meant to serve the public good—are turned into profit machines for a few.

Senator Panfilo Lacson revealed that more than 60% of a flood-control project’s budget was lost to corruption. Imagine this: out of ₱1 billion earmarked for protecting lives, ₱600 million vanishes into pockets before a single shovel touches the ground. Hence he quipped, "More than flood control...what we bandly need to see is greed control."

Who pays the price?

Not the corrupt officials resting comfortably in their gated mansions. It’s the ordinary Filipino family. Children swept away in swollen rivers. Parents mourning lives lost in flash floods. Communities left homeless because the structures that should have safeguarded them either collapsed too soon or were never built at all.

Greed destroys. It does not build.

Greed turning into corruption is not merely about theft of money—it is the theft of dignity, of safety, of human life. The Bible captures the gravity of this kind of injustice:

“You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.”

—Deuteronomy 16:19 (NKJV)

Bribery and graft blind leaders. They no longer see the cries of flood victims or hear the anguish of parents who lost children. Their hearts grow numb as their pockets grow fat.

The New Testament echoes the same warning. The Apostle Paul described the corrupting nature of greed:

“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil, for which some have strayed from the faith in their greediness, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.”

—1 Timothy 6:10 (NKJV)

Greed poisons not only governments but souls. What begins as a little compromise—a padded receipt, a dishonest grade, an under-the-table deal—eventually festers into the billion-peso scandals we decry on the evening news.

Jesus gave us a sobering principle:

“He who is faithful in what is least is faithful also in much; and he who is unjust in what is least is unjust also in much.”

—Luke 16:10 (NKJV)

This means the battle against corruption does not start with exposés in the Senate or fiery speeches on the campaign trail. It starts with the seemingly small choices of everyday life.

Why Corruption Should Concern You

It’s easy to shrug and say, “That’s politics.” But corruption is not just about government—it’s about culture. Every time we ignore, excuse, or participate in small acts of dishonesty, we contribute to a society where corruption thrives.

Think about it:

When classrooms tolerate cheating, future leaders learn that dishonesty is acceptable.

When workplaces overlook small thefts, employees learn that stealing is normal.

When citizens vote based on bribes or favors, politicians learn that integrity doesn’t matter.

Corruption is not simply a political problem—it’s a moral one. And moral problems begin and end with individuals.

Breaking the Cycle--

So, what can we do? It starts with us.

▪️Examine our choices – Are we honest even when no one is watching?

▪️Model integrity – At home, at work, in school, let others see that character matters more than convenience.

▪️Hold leaders accountable – Demand transparency, support whistleblowers, and refuse to be silenced by apathy.

▪️Teach the next generation – Show children that true success comes from honesty, not shortcuts.

Greed may be a natural human tendency, but integrity must be a conscious decision.

Choose Integrity Over Greed

The trouble with greed and corruption is that they never stay small—they grow until they destroy families, communities, and nations. But the opposite is also true: small acts of integrity ripple outward into lasting change.

If greed can bring down bridges and flood entire towns, then honesty can rebuild them. If corruption begins with you, so can reform.

It starts not in the halls of Congress, but in the choices you and I make today.

Let’s choose integrity. Let’s be faithful in little things. And in doing so, let’s rebuild not just our nation’s broken systems—but its soul--as we hope for Jesus Christ's coming for the restitution of all things (Acts 3:20-21). --Rh.