When former Philippines president Joseph Estrada was found guilty of plunder, it could have served as a strong message that corruption would no longer be tolerated. The impoverished country has long been plagued by graft and corruption — a fact that has placed it prominently among lists of the most corrupt countries in the world.

But it's difficult to find hope in Estrada's successor, President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, as the leader who will finally clean house. She's embroiled in a scandal of her own, amidst allegations of vote rigging in the 2004 elections. And her husband left the country in 2005 as a result of graft allegations.

Under Arroyo, hundreds of murders of Filipino activists and journalists have remained unsolved — what's worse, many suspect her administration is behind the violence.

While many once viewed Arroyo as a symbol of a new era, sadly, she has become yet another disappointment.

Many in Hawai'i saw the result of such corruption when former president Ferdinand Marcos remained in exile here. The Marcos regime's plundering far outweighs Estrada's transgressions, yet Imelda Marcos lives lavishly in the Philippines and her children were elected to congress.

Antigraft laws and penalties exist, but are rarely enforced. Corruption is pervasive, from Internal Revenue and Public Works to foreign-funded projects and law enforcement.

Estrada has been found guilty, but he is — by far — not the only one. Rampant corruption continues to widen the gap between the very rich and the desperately poor.

What the Philippines needs is a leader who is willing to break the cycle of poverty and corruption, and replace it with accountability and transparency. Only then can there be hope for progress and prosperity for the Philippines, its economy and its people.