Wrong road

Even if the murky dusts produced by the PCOS machines used in the last election will be thoroughly cleared or will fully settle down, the signs of the times still do not look good for our country especially in politics and government. It seems that we will have more of the same kind of traditional politicians and political dynasties running the affairs of government who have been alternately taking over the reins of power in this hapless land that continues to be mired in poverty.

In 2010 we were looking forward to the much awaited reforms in government after we booted out a much maligned regime allegedly involved in so many anomalies and corrupt practices. We installed this present dispensation because of its very captivating slogan of kung walang corrupt  walang mahirap as it promised a government that would pass through the matuwid na daan.

Sad to say however, after three years and the just concluded mid-term election, the promised reforms are not forthcoming. While there is a supposed improvement in our economy, the poor are still getting poorer and the rich, richer because corruption has not been effectively checked and still abounds. Only the wealthy business tycoons and upper crusts of our society composing 10% of our population which support the ascent into power of every administration, continue to enjoy the alleged boom in our economy.

Indeed even the fight against graft and corruption in the government is carried out in media more than in the courts of justice. The past administration and all those connected with it are already condemned even before or upon the filing of cases in court. Their trial has become more of a trial by publicity obviously to show that this administration is doing something about corruption in government and that the past administration is to blame for all the anomalies and corruption committed then and now. Most unfair here is that the honor and reputation of people are soiled and destroyed even before they are found guilty just because they are connected with the past administration.

Coming to mind in this connection is an official who served in the Executive, Legislative and Judicial departments of the government in past administrations starting from Cory, Ramos, Erap and Arroyo. He suffered a recent stroke after this administration filed a string of cases for graft and malversation against him. The charges against him allegedly happened when he was the head of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), the government agency charged with the task of recovering the ill gotten wealth of the Marcoses.

Obviously he dared to accept the position at a time when the agency’s reputation has become so low due to the vicious moves including the use of media by the people affected by its continuing and relentless drive to achieve its task. He accepted the position because the ill gotten wealth recovered is meant for the farmers under Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program of the Government and for the just compensation to the human rights victims of martial law.

Actually right after finishing law at the Ateneo Law School as our valedictorian and gold medal awardee for academic excellence, he only had a five-month stint at the Feria, Manglapus and Associates Law Offices, then already volunteered to be one of the lawyers of the Federation of Free Farmers (FFF), an organization of peasants, small farmers, fisher folks, agricultural tenants and workers whose president was the Ateneo Law Dean at that time, Jeremias Montemayor. Then one year after that he also simultaneously worked for the Federation of Free Workers of  Juan C. Tan.  The highlight of his 20 years stint with the FFF, is winning a case for the implementation of the Sugar Act of 1952 among the laborers and sacadas in Negros Occidental.

His work in the FFF and FFW serving the needs of industrial workers and laborers, peasants, small farmers and fisherfolks, as well as his being a Professor of Political Law, Constitutional Law and International Law at the Ateneo University College of Law contributed a lot to his election and work as a Delegate to the 1971 Constitutional Convention. His work as a delegate in the 1971 Con Con became his stepping stone to various positions in Executive, Legislative, and Judicial Departments of government.

In the Executive Department, he was appointed by Cory as chairman of the Human Settlements Regulatory Commission later renamed as Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), simultaneously occupying the position of Chief of Staff of Associate Justice Jose Feria. Then he also became the Assistant Minister for Legal Affairs of the Ministry of Transportation and Communication, Counsel to the Cabinet Action Committee on Agrarian Reform and Undersecretary for Legal affairs in the Department of Agriculture. In October 1991 he was also named by President Cory as member of the Philippine Delegation to the 46th Regular Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

In the Legislative Department, he served as deputy secretary general for operations of the House of Representatives, permanent adviser to the Philippine Delegation to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and to the Asean Inter Parliamentary Organization (AIPO). On December 17, 1990, he was elected by the members of the House of Representatives as it Secretary General and reelected by the 9th and 10th Congress. Later he was also designated as the Resident Ombudsman of the House of Representatives.

This man is Camilo L. Sabio now being accused of graft and malversation allegedly committed during his term as chairman of the controversial PCGG. His record of service in government would really place in doubt his guilt of the accusation. In fact as PCGG Chief he was instrumental in recovering and turning over to the government a total of more than P28 billion. He has however already been perceived as guilty because of publicity. Recently the prosecution even aired again that they have an “airtight” case against him which is not its function but that of the Sandiganbayan.

At this time after suffering a stroke, and staying in their cramped townhouse which is their only property, Camilo is wondering whether he had indeed taken the “wrong road”.

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