MANILA—Whenever I read of ranking government officials of other countries resigning from office because they violated ethics or take responsibility for the failings of their subordinates, I am envious and amazed. In our country, public officials are like Velcro; they cling to their positions no matter what.
 
It’s been more than a week since our police bungled big-time the rescue of hostages in a bus hijacked by a former police officer and not a single official has voluntarily resigned. As a result of the police’s embarrassing incompetence—displayed live on national TV—and lack of gear like gas masks and bullet-proof vests, eight Chinese tourists were killed. Were it not for the tragic deaths, the whole episode would have been good comedy material for reality TV.   
 
The police allowed the hostage crisis to drag for 11 hours. Negotiators fumbled. The SWAT team didn’t even seem to know the make of the bus as the police, armed with a sledgehammer, tried to break the main door but failed spectacularly. All the while, they forgot that they could enter through the emergency door of the bus.
 
As I watched this series of unfortunate mistakes unfold on TV, I cringed in shame. The policemen’s ineptness was fatal.   
 
I am convinced that if this appalling fiasco happened in another country, we would have seen officials quitting in shame. Take South Korea and Taiwan, our not-so-distant neighbors. Recent events show that their leaders did the decent thing: they left office and did not burden the government and the public with their continued stay.    
 
In South Korea, Prime Minister-designate Kim Tae-ho and two ministers nominated for cabinet posts resigned Sunday (August 29) after they were criticized for unethical behavior. Mr. Kim allegedly evaded taxes and accepted bribes. During the confirmation hearings, the opposition also denounced Lee Jae-hoon, the proposed minister of knowledge and the economy, and Shin Jae-min, the nominee for culture minister, for alleged ethical lapses and financial misconduct.
 
In Taiwan, the highest-level judicial official, Lai In-jaw, resigned in July after three senior judges were detained amid allegations that they took bribes. Lai said in a press conference: “I am willing to take political responsibility, as the nation’s judges are implicated [in the scandal].”
 
Compare this to the aftermath of the bloody hostage drama. The events in Seoul and Taipei that triggered the resignations may be different but they convey the same message.
 
In our country, the chief of the Philippine National Police, Jesus Verzosa, remains glued to his office. So far, he has expressed sadness, commisserated with the victims, and urged the public to await the results of their internal investigation.  
 
Four team leaders of the Manila police SWAT unit, the team that botched the rescue operation, were immediately sacked. But the overall ground commander, chief of the Manila police Rodolfo Magtibay, merely went on leave so as not to influence the probe.
 
I’ve been thinking a lot about the culture of shame prevalent in other countries, including Japan, and why we don’t have it in the Philippines. Our leaders do not have the humility to accept blame not just for their errors but for those of their subordinates. Taking political responsibility is unheard of.
 
Instead, what we have is a culture of impunity, where officials are unmindful of  protecting the institutions they work for  and the honor of their office. We call them thick-faced. They treat ethical violations lightly. They don’t care about the consequences of what they do because they know that they can get away unscathed. They belong to the power elite and, in a feudal society like ours, they feel they are above the law.
 
But we do have a concept similar to shame. It is delicadeza, a Spanish word which implies sensitivity born out of a sense of propriety and decency. However, this has eroded through the years. As Conchita Razon wrote in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, “We traded honor for favor, integrity for position, truth for fame. And in the process, we demolished delicadeza.”
 
I will continue to read with awe and envy as public officials of other countries bow out of their posts to keep the honor of their offices or when they are faced with the slightest hint of an ethical lapse.