Spoils of the Banana Republic

Spoils of the Banana Republic
Power, Impunity, and the Endurance of Plunder

Corruption does not necessarily end when a scandal breaks, an official is punished, or a government changes. The benefits it creates may survive.

Spoils of the Banana Republic investigates how abuses of public authority in the Philippines have produced wealth, commercial privileges, and political influence that can endure for decades. Tracing the country's history from the Marcos dictatorship through successive administrations, it examines monopolies, disputed privatizations, public procurement, discretionary spending, and the networks linking political power to private advantage.

Grounded in court rulings, audit findings, government records, and investigative journalism, the book distinguishes established wrongdoing from allegations while examining both successful and failed attempts at accountability. It considers not only what was diverted or recovered, but also the consequences for public services, economic opportunity, and ordinary Filipinos.

At its heart lies a harder question: What does accountability mean when the people responsible face consequences, but the advantages they created remain?