TWO thousand years ago, Marcus Tullius Cicero wrote that the "most important thing for public officials to avoid is even the suspicion of greed and personal gain" (from How to Run a Country). Greed, according to Cicero, was the vice of vices, "especially among those who govern the country. To use public office for personal gain is not only immoral, but also criminal and just plain wicked."

Since then, greed seems to have found a comfortable and safe place among "those who govern the country." Who even bothers to avoid "suspicion of greed and personal gain?" Yet, every now and then, the Sandiganbayan anti-graft court hands down a verdict that reminds those who govern the country that public funds are indeed to be applied for public good and not for private gain.

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