The family plays a central role in the life of the Filipino that the interests of the state are sometimes compromised in favor of the interests of the family. This “family logic” of the Filipino culture is comparable to that of the ancient Chinese’s xiào (孝) or filial piety. In one particular Analect, Confucius teaches that righteousness consists in the father concealing the misconduct of the son, and the son concealing the misconduct of the father. This portrays an apparently extreme adherence to filial piety, which goes against the interests of the state. In this paper, I explore how Confucianism explains and justifies this Analect, and whether the same reasoning could be applied to the Philippine setting.