The Senate-PCSO brouhaha

With regard to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office small “volcano” of a minor scam, it has emitted some dark smoke of imminent eruption. The sad involvement of seven bishops of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines is but a mote in the eye.

 It’s incredible for the Senate in conducting the probe anchored on “in aid of legislation” as regards the prelates’ minor role. Granting that the senators want to dig deeper, the people are incredulous to be taken in by such ploy in dragging the Church to shame. As it turned out though, the Senate Blue Ribbon probers were overly courteous to the prelates, without browbeating them.

 This is not just jumping to hasty conclusion as regards the prelates’ useless appearance before the “august” senators, because the former have already owned that the PCSO “donated” to them 4 x 4 pick-ups – no Pajeros – and/or cash of P1.7 M each to buy them. One bishop admitted writing a letter to President GMA in a tenor somewhat of passionate “compulsion.” Perhaps unethical in writing GMA, thus: “I hope you will never fail to give a brand new car, which would serve as your birthday gift to me.” If it’s censurable, at most it’s an indiscretion that only deserves a flick on the wrist as GMA was his friend even before her presidency. The CBCP, incidentally, has decided to return all the seven 4 x 4 vehicles, despite Senator Sotto’s opinion en contra.

 It’s possible that “someone” close to Malacañang and/or to the PCSO personnel familiar with the “workings” of PCSO, advised the bishop(s) and the latter merely followed such advice. And, when one bishop received his birthday gift, the others followed suit.

 PCSO chair Margie Juico has already confessed in the Senate hearing that the PCSO had spent at least P6.9M for five vehicles “upon request of several bishops.” Based on separation between the Church and the State, such donations are violations by the PCSO as a government entity in “donating” to the Church. But the violations are of the PCSO and, definitely, not of the bishops. Anyway, the CBCP has already apologized for the indiscretion as “lapse of judgment”, one prelate confessed.

 But the ironic twist appears that the bloated blame is mercilessly thrown at the Church or the donee bishops. The latter just received whatever given and, there’s a Cebuano colloquialism that bans rejecting any “blessing” given, thus: “Luoy diyos, hatud ba’ay, walay balibad.”

 What must be addressed by the Senate is the spendthrift wastage of PCSO funds. One aspect is the “intelligence fund” much bigger than the AFP which is directly concerned with intelligence matters. Another is the alleged “doctoring” of PCSO accounts that Chairman Manoling Morato confessed and attributed to the COA, although denied in the hearing by COA’s Heidi Mendoza.

 Why were the five bishops and two archbishops castigated over the PCSO’s error in charging the “donations” to its “charity” fund instead of the “subsidy” fund? If not for such error, PCSO’s representative said that no brouhaha should have ensued, especially on the matter of “Pajeros.” Even the media is guilty of concentrating its guns on the “innocent” victims of circumstances.

 This is a case of a few trees mistaken for the forest. The forest is how the PCSO has mismanaged its multi-million. Therefore, it’s incumbent on the Senate to focus on the forest, not on the few trees and, for them to investigate thoroughly the chair, managers, and other fiscal personnel of PCSO, as well as the COA for its alleged “doctoring” of the PCSO accounts… Do away with the vain pretense of “in aid of legislation” as enough laws clutter the law books. Let their probe be for prosecution by the Department of Justice, and to file with the Ombudsman and/or with the Court, whichever has proper jurisdiction.

(P.S. Thanks for the Governor’s invitation for the SOPA, but personal factors beyond control made us miss the occasion. Very sorry indeed…)