Prosecutor Resado is in for deeper problems

Today the Committee on Dangerous Drugs in Congress will resume its hearing. It’s getting more interesting. Surely they would discuss the latest report that State Prosecutor John Resado who earlier admitted to have deposited P800,000 in his personal bank, while his wife also got the exact same amount last Dec.2 on the very day that he dismissed the case vs. the Alabang Boys and dared to waive the secrecy of his bank accounts, suddenly changed his mind and is no longer waiving his secrecy rights.

While we respect Resado’s right to secrecy, the cat is out of the bag, thanks to his “foot-in-the-mouth” admission of these deposits. Now more people believe that he was on the take. How many husbands and wives in government service get a simultaneous deposit worth P1.6 million huh? Methinks this bribery case is headed for the courtrooms so we would know whether or not the money deposited in their accounts were really from their lending business, which Resado also admitted that he did not register, but justified as part of the so-called “underground economy”.

Remember that Chinese proverb, “More talk, more mistakes, less talk, less mistakes.” Prosecutor John Resado came up with too many “mea culpas” which raises more questions on his extra-curricular activities. How much taxes did he pay the Bureau of Internal Revenue in the last five years? Earning P1.6 million from his lending business is certainly not small time business.

Call it unfortunate that Prosecutor Resado is but a small fry caught in the web of corruption in a country that is reeling from many problems on corruption. The latest is the World Bank ban of Filipino contractors due to collusion with high ranking government officials. How this will all end? Given the present leadership in the Office of the Ombudsman under Merceditas Gutierrez, nothing much is going to happen.

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Here’s a very interesting, but disturbing letter emailed by a Cebuano who has been away for some time and isn’t happy with the direction our beloved Cebu City is going. Too often, it takes someone who has been out of Cebu to see the changes happening to our city. It is our job in the media to bring them to everyone’s attention. Dear Responsible Cebuano,

It is always a good feeling to come home every time. But these few trips home lately have become truly alarming. The deterioration of order in our city streets is becoming more appalling each time. I wouldn’t be surprised if there already are serious campaigns to bring back order in our streets. Sobra na man gyud. Wa na may balaod sa dalan tumanon karon.

Ang Colon gyud, mura na gyu’g Tutuban. Even more embarrassing as it is a major thoroughfare. Sa una side walk ra may baligya-an, karon sa dalan na gyud – sa Colon! Unya mga jeep ug mga motor normal na nga mo counterflow sa pikas lane murag dili sayop! Ang mga trisikad sa Colon nga mga ga hukas pa ang ga dala, at liberty to run any direction! Way labot sa traffic rules!

But that is not the worst. Anywhere in the City, trisikads, bicycles, and motorbikes can go any which way on any lane and do not have to obey traffic lights anymore! Puwede ra mosulod og “no entry” or cross in front of any running vehicle – even in the sight of traffic enforcers or the police. Di na man gyud badlongon! Ma uwaw ko inig suroy nakog bisita kay kita ko sa reaction nig sugat og bata nga ga dalag trisikad nga mga bata say pasajero - coming our way sa south expressway!

Daghan na ba ang ga reklamo ani? Or has it simply become another deteriorating aspect of the City life in Cebu that Cebuanos are simply learning to tolerate and live with? Street conditions anywhere are always accurate barometers of the kind of governance the place is under. Cebu’s has become more than embarrassing. It is frightening!

Kun wa pay serious campaign ani, we ought to vigorously demand the CITOM and the CCPO to enforce order in the streets again. There are some of us who can even volunteer more innovative and strategic enforcement ideas if they’d care to consider and ask. “JAFCi” [email protected]

I can’t say that I disagree with the observation of our letter writer, who titled his letter “Cebu City Streets Mayhem”. This fellow no doubt saw what he saw and wasn’t happy about the present situation. We can only implore our city officials to take a hard look at what’s happening in Cebu City today and make the necessary adjustments in order to make Cebu City a place that we all want to live in.