HR Is Not Immune to Power
Let’s be candid: in many Filipino organizations—especially founder-led firms or those headed by strong, charismatic leaders—HR often finds itself closely aligned with the priorities of top management. In theory, HR is the guardian of fairness and compliance. In practice, it’s too often the first casualty when top-level misconduct arises.
We saw this clearly in the Coldplay incident. The Chief People Officer—supposedly the top enforcer of company ethics—was seen, by the entire world, acting in a way that raised serious questions about conflicts of interest, transparency, and the ethical health of the company. If that can happen in a Silicon Valley company preaching modern HR standards, what more in Filipino firms where hierarchies are rigid and “utang na loob” often outweighs written policy?
When HR Shares More Than the Boardroom
The biggest red flag in all this isn’t even the relationship itself. It’s the silence. Was the relationship disclosed? Did Astronomer have a fraternization policy? If so, was it followed? If not, why not?
In the Philippines, some companies may not have clearly defined or consistently applied policies regarding workplace relationships, particularly at the executive level. At times, rank-and-file employees may feel that expectations are enforced more strictly for them than for those in leadership roles. Even if unintentional, this perception can influence how employees view fairness and transparency within the organization
Here’s what employees see: an HR leader cozy with the CEO. Whether or not there was favoritism, whether or not the relationship influenced business decisions, the perception alone is enough to damage morale. After all, how can someone feel safe filing a complaint or raising a concern if HR itself seems compromised?
Cultural Complicity and the Gossip Trap
In our own corporate context, things get even trickier. Filipino workplace culture is steeped in “hiya” and “pakikisama.” We value harmony, we avoid confrontation, and we learn—early in our careers—that challenging authority can be professional suicide. And so, when leaders cross the line, we don’t go to HR. We go to each other. We whisper. We laugh. We share memes. Here’s the Filipino twist: we don’t report misconduct. We turn it into chismis—spiced with memes, served with kape, and forgotten by payday. Gossip isn’t justice; it’s corporate ampalaya: bitter, habitual, and weirdly satisfying. But it changes nothing.
But gossip does not equal justice. It does not prevent misconduct. And it certainly does not empower the ethical voices in our organizations who want change.
The viral Coldplay moment has been called many things—scandal, spectacle, PR disaster. But in the Philippine context, it’s a mirror. It reflects our own deep discomfort with calling out power, especially when it wears a friendly face.
High Power Distance and Reluctance to Speak Up
Hofstede’s framework consistently ranks the Philippines high in power distance, meaning employees often accept hierarchical inequalities and are hesitant to question authority figures like CEOs or HR heads according to a study by Acuna & Rodriguez.
Any honest Filipino worker will recognize this dance: we measure our words carefully, wrapping criticism in layers of polite ambiguity when speaking to superiors. That hesitant ‘Perhaps we could consider…’ or ‘Maybe another approach…’ isn’t just professional courtesy—it’s workplace survival instinct. In our hierarchical offices, directness risks being mistaken for disrespect, so we soften edges until important concerns dissolve into vague suggestions. The result? Meetings drag as everyone decodes subtext, good ideas from junior staff never surface, and bad decisions plow forward because no one dares say ‘This won’t work’ to the boss’s face. (To be continued)/PN
