ghost project

THE PHILIPPINES has seen many scandals over the years, but every so often, a moment arrives that captures the country’s attention in a way that cuts through political noise. The recent confession video of Congressman Zaldy Co, revealing stories about luggage filled with cash supposedly linked to high-ranking officials, is one such moment. Watching the video felt like watching a man trapped between fear and obligation. His voice trembled, his eyes shifted, and every word seemed to carry more weight than he intended to admit.

Whether he was telling the truth, whether it was rehearsed, or whether it was forced is not the point of immediate concern. What matters is how a single video triggered a national conversation about money, power, truth, and the machinery of political communication. It exposed the fragile world of political image-making, where narratives are crafted like merchandise and truth is treated like a negotiable asset.

In the Philippines, corruption not only thrives in hidden rooms or discreet transactions. It thrives in how stories are told, how narratives are shaped, and how information is controlled. This is why corruption is not just a financial issue. It is a communication crisis of the highest order.

The language of power

Whenever a scandal erupts, the first response from those implicated is almost always strategic silence. Long pauses, vague statements, and delayed press conferences often mean one thing: the story is being polished behind the scenes. Lawyers and advisers gather to decide which angle sounds sympathetic, which phrasing is safest, and which emotion should be performed.

This is image management at work. It is communication used not to inform, but to protect. Not to clarify, but to confuse. Not to serve the people, but to shield the powerful.

The public is eventually fed sanitized versions of events. Officials deny involvement, blame political opponents, or dismiss allegations as black propaganda. The truth becomes buried beneath layers of statements that appear official, yet lack authenticity.

People often say corruption is about money exchanged in secret. But the deeper form of corruption happens in plain sight, through carefully sculpted words meant to mislead. The manipulation of language becomes a form of moral laundering.

When truth is negotiable

Zaldy Co’s video is not just about potential corruption. It is about how truth has become negotiable in our political culture. If a confession can be made on camera, then quickly denied or clarified the next day, what does that say about how our leaders treat honesty?

In development communication, truth is the foundation of participation. A society cannot engage meaningfully in its own progress if the information it receives is distorted. When leaders treat truth as a flexible tool rather than a non-negotiable value, development halts. Policies become questionable. Public trust erodes. People stop believing in institutions that are supposed to serve them.

Corruption grows in the spaces where truth is twisted or withheld. It grows in silence. It grows in fear. It grows every time communication is used as a shield rather than a bridge.

Corruption as a communication crisis

We often hear citizens say, “Matagal nang may korapsyon sa Pilipinas.” True. But what makes corruption worse today is how quickly lies spread and how slowly accountability follows. Technology has made communication faster, yet transparency remains slow.

The problem is not only the act of corruption itself. The deeper problem lies in how leaders communicate when caught. They release brief statements written by public relations teams. They decline interviews. They redirect the blame. They create narratives that deflect attention rather than confront wrongdoing.

This is why corruption is a communication crisis. Every false narrative erodes public trust. Every evasive answer kills confidence. Every shallow apology deepens disillusionment. And every moment of silence in the face of wrongdoing becomes a loud confirmation of guilt.

In countries where accountability is strong, communication is clear, honest, and consistent. Leaders face the public, answer difficult questions, and stand by their statements. In the Philippines, communication often becomes a performance meant to appease, not enlighten.

The cost of narrative manipulation

When communication is abused, it shapes public perception in damaging ways. Narratives can be weaponized to make the guilty appear innocent and the victims appear unreasonable. Political machinery can repaint corruption as a misunderstanding or political persecution.

This pattern has real consequences. Development slows because resources meant for education, healthcare, infrastructure, and disaster response are siphoned off. Progress becomes delayed because decisions are influenced by personal gain rather than public interest.

Worse, citizens become cynical. When people begin to believe that all politicians are corrupt, they disengage. They stop participating in governance, community initiatives, and elections. Disengagement is the death of development.

The role of media and the unfiltered public

In the age of social media, narratives can be challenged immediately. Citizens are no longer passive consumers of information. They dissect, analyze, and argue. They hold leaders accountable with evidence, videos, screenshots, and crowdsourced information.

But social media is a double-edged sword. It can expose corruption, but it can also spread false narratives. It can empower, but it can also confuse. This is why development communication must evolve to meet the demands of the digital age. It must promote media literacy, fact-checking, and responsible storytelling.

Zaldy Co ‘s video is a perfect example of this. It circulated rapidly not because mainstream media highlighted it, but because ordinary people shared it, debated it, and demanded answers. It showed that the public can disrupt official narratives when truth is mishandled.

Silence as a strategy

One of the most dangerous tools in political communication is silence. Silence allows rumors to flourish, but it also buys time. Silence allows those involved to assess damage, coordinate responses, and rebuild their narrative.

Silence is not neutral. It is strategic. It communicates avoidance, control, or fear. When leaders refuse to speak, they are not protecting themselves alone. They are disrespecting the public that deserves the truth.

The longer the silence lingers, the deeper distrust grows. People are tired of waiting for honesty from those who promised to serve them. They are tired of vague statements that say nothing. They are tired of apologies that explain nothing.

Development communication as a path forward

Development communication teaches that dialogue, honesty, and participation are essential for progress. When leaders speak truthfully and listen sincerely, communities feel valued and involved.

Development happens when truth becomes the default, not the exception.

Spaces that speak of truth

Every scandal speaks not only of wrongdoing but of the spaces that allowed it. Zaldy Co’s video spoke of fear, pressure, and a system that relies on silence. The responses from involved officials spoke of narrative control rather than accountability.

These spaces reveal what our political culture values. They also reveal what it lacks.

If the Philippines wants to move forward, we must redesign these spaces. We must create spaces where citizens feel empowered to voice concerns, where leaders feel obligated to be honest, and where communication functions as a tool for development, not deception.

Corruption will not disappear overnight. But its power weakens every time truth is spoken clearly, every time silence is broken, and every time citizens demand transparency.

The currency of corruption is not money alone. It is dishonesty. It is silent. It is manipulation. And the only antidote is communication rooted in truth.

————————————————————————————————————————–

–

Kethelle I. Sajonia is a college instructor at the University of Southeastern Philippines, Mintal Campus. She is currently in the final phase of her Doctor of Communication degree at the University of the Philippines. Her research interests include inclusivity, education, communication, and social development. She actively engages in scholarly research and community-based initiatives that advocate for inclusive and transformative communication practices.