OBLIQUE OBSERVATIONS
By Atty. Gilberto Lauengco, J.D.
The term “snitch” is generally perceived negatively. Basically, to snitch means to report the actions of others to authorities for whatever purpose. Growing up, we normally look at squealers or tattletales as selfish individuals who would disregard the concept of group loyalty in exchange for getting favors from the authorities.
Normally, people who snitch often get ostracized, insulted or worse physically assaulted. This would then create a culture of fear, indifference, and silence. In school, this allows bullying and other misdeeds to go unpunished or even rewarded. As we graduate to the real world, this wall of silence and fear often leads to unchecked abuse in both government and private organizations.
There is a private school in Metro Manila that cultivates a culture of snitching as an effective way to curtail bullying. As early as nursery, teachers and guidance counselors orient their students that “snitching” or reporting bullying is not only their duty but a good thing. They identify the students who are potential gold mines for information on bullying and obtain valuable information on acts of bullying under a system of secrecy and protection.
The tag team of soft love teacher and guidance counselor are then complimented with the Gestapo-like efficiency of the office of discipline which conducts interrogations using various advanced interrogation techniques that practice a divide and conquer tactic against bullies.
With the ‘good cop, bad cop’ routine of guidance counselors and teachers on one hand and the discipline office on the other side, they often break down and expel bullies at an early age. The snitches are both rewarded and protected by a layered defense and the bullies are made to leave. The snitching culture and zero-bully tolerance have kept the incidence of bullying at one of the lowest levels in the country.
With the increasing number of reported incidents of bullying all over the country which sometimes lead to depression or suicide at worst, perhaps it is time to look at this method of snitching cultivation as a valuable tool. There have been several videos of bullying incidents that are already bordering on hooliganism. Perhaps a combination of engendering a culture of snitching and on site and online monitoring is needed to combat bullying and be a tool for preventing depression and suicide.
A culture of snitching started at an early age can be the backbone for a society of snitches against corruption. Breaking down the wall of silence and fear early can condition the young to report acts of corruption at an early age under a system of protection and encouragement. Imagine a nation of snitches watching the move of every government official and reporting the same to an online platform. Then imagine a AI system that can sift through, collate, filter and analyze the thousands of reports and pinpoint red flags of corruption or inefficiency through the reports.
It all starts with cultivating a culture of snitching in schools and developing the same into a society that puts a premium on snitching. This is just my oblique observation.
