The Stonehill Scandal: A Tale of Corruption in the Philippines

In 1962, the Philippines was jolted by the Stonehill scandal, a bribery exposé that laid bare the deep-seated corruption within its government. The central figure was Harry Stonehill, an American expatriate whose $50-million business empire - built on tobacco, glass, cement, and more - thrived through illicit dealings with the nation's elite. The scandal implicated President Diosdado Macapagal, future President Ferdinand Marcos, former President Carlos P. Garcia, and numerous other officials, revealing a system where power and profit intertwined.