Conspiracy and corruption

We are finally in the “ber” months of the year. To most of us, Christmas season officially started. Supposedly, it is a season of peace and where love inundates. Well, we might still be overwhelmed by love but, obviously, water inundates us more. Yes, for one palpable reason-anomalous flood control projects.

Investigations are ongoing in both Houses of Congress, hopefully, to ferret out the truth.  Likewise, the President is creating an Independent Commission for the same reason. All done in a Christmas season where peace, love and truth are of utmost significance. So untimely, isn’t it?

Indeed, timing maybe off but timing isn’t truth’s concern. It seeks its own path without fear. In fact, it reveals itself in many forms. There are thousands that come in audit reports, hundreds from the losing bidders, a handful from well-meaning citizens as whistleblowers and a pinch from some morally upright politicians.

The general public, however, treat truths differently. Some are factual but are taken for granted. A few are unfounded allegations but are embraced upon as gospel truth. Whatever the motivations are, one thing is certain, every session (senate and congress) is an opportunity to make one’s face recognizable for re-election. Therefore, assertions as to one’s honesty and authenticity of such allegations as well as their ways of handling the investigations are ostensibly filled with biases and are to be taken with caution.

To recall, since early 2008 we have had sensational cases involving billions of pesos. For one, who will ever forget Joey de Venecia’s allegations of rigged bidding of the ZTE’s broadband deal? With the reinforcement of Rodolfo “J-Lo” Lozada’s testimonies on the NBN and Southrail projects’ kickbacks, such claims should have been credible. To the country’s dismay, the senate investigation led us nowhere. Then, as the 2010 election neared, some senators cried over Villar’s supposed manipulation of the C-5 deal. While, he lost in his presidential bid, the allegations never went a step farther. Then, sadly, onwards, the supposed manipulation was set aside and forgotten and his family was rewarded with his wife’s senate seat (by most of us) and his son’s (Mark Villar) reign as DPWH Secretary (by President Duterte). Then, two elections later, again, most of us rewarded the family by electing both Mark and Camille as senators.

Today, with hundreds of billions in play, the urgency multiplies. Curiously though, whether today’s investigations will take the same route, we do not know. Certainly, however, for as long as every time it rains, the streets turn into rivers; plazas like Lanao Lake; and a bunch of shanties in low-lying areas like Camiguin’s sunken cemetery, the Filipinos will never stop crying for accountability.

These ghosts and substandard projects (past and present) that cost us billions, are scattered in several districts all over the country. The same projects that could have propelled us economically. These are in districts that are under the influence of our lawmakers who could have helped keep these projects above board. With these lawmakers and other line agencies coordinating, compliance could have been assured. Sadly though, while they are coordinating, they did it to cheat us. Simply put, they conspired.

It is surprising too, that despite the regular meetings among the project implementing agencies like the Department of Finance, Department of Budget and Management and NEDA (as required by law) to address bottlenecks and issues on project implementation, these are left uncorrected. Therefore, with all probability, these players put themselves in the best positions to steal and conceal to avoid detection.

Lest we forget, there are, at least, two parties to a transaction. Therefore, there are, at least, two players in an anomalous deal. Either the unscrupulous customer demands a sum to give his nod to the project or the supplier offers a bribe to get it. When one refuses, a deal isn’t made. Obviously, therefore, every anomalous deal is not a marriage of two strange bedfellows but a union of human beings of the same breed and immoral upbringing.

Indeed, if still left unattended, we can just surmise that our lawmakers and other government officials will only shout their hearts out if they are not part of the deal. If they are, expect a deafening silence. Fortunately, for us, nature (through tropical depressions and monsoon rains) did not conspire with them. It helped ferret out the truth.