The unfolding events in our country now are really overwhelming enough to cause a lot of concern and uneasiness on the part of most of us who voted for PNoy, trusting and hoping that finally we will see the beginning of the end of corruption, incompetence and partiality in our government. The daang matuwid three years ago is now turning out to be crooked.
Actually there were already signs at the beginning of his term especially in the double standard of treatment given to erring officials in the government where his kabarkada, kaibigan, kabarilan and kamaganak are presumed innocent and allowed to stay in office until proven guilty, while the rest are immediately presumed guilty, publicly condemned and sometimes axed right away. This kind of treatment reared its ugly head just a few months after he assumed office during the Luneta hostage taking crisis where officials already found to be administratively liable were not sanctioned but still remained in office because they are close to him.
Up to now this partial treatment is happening. Recently, a video was posted on You Tube showing the Land Transportation Office (LTO) Chief, Virginia Torres playing slot machine at a casino. Thereafter, a second video was also posted showing her playing the same machine and still transferring to another one. These videos speak for themselves loud and clear. No amount of denial or explanation can prove them wrong. This is the best evidence of the violation of a Memorandum Circular (No. 8) prohibiting government officials and employees, including policemen and soldiers from going to casinos. But the Palace still won’t relieve her immediately. Its spokesman said that they will have to look into it first and asked her about it, as part of due process. People however know the real reason—she is one of PNoy’s kababayan at kabarilan.
But of greater concern and more disturbing is this administration’s handling of the pork barrel, now more palatably and popularly called the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). Almost everybody knows that this pork barrel is the biggest source of corruption in government particularly in the Legislative and Executive Departments. When PNoy assumed office there were already mounting calls for him to abolish or gradually reduce it, since as President he has the power to do so. On the contrary however, he even increased it during his first three years in office from P10.8 billion to the present P27 billion or an increase of more than 150%! Was there also a COA special audit for this period?
For a president who is supposedly “honest†and cannot be corrupted, it is quite odd if not incongruous that he would still increase the biggest source of corruption. Indeed he even found it useful in “convincing†members of Congress to act in accordance with his wishes. A president who is really “honest†will certainly refrain from using such technique as there is simply nothing honest about it.
And when the multi-billion pesos scam surrounding the use of the PDAF was recently exposed resulting in the heightened public outrage over it, PNoy could have at least temporarily suspended its implementation pending the probe of these illegal activities and the filing of charges in the proper court. But he did not. Why?
Indeed as leader of this country championing the cause against graft and corruption in government, he should have assumed a more direct and active role in getting to the bottom of this mess instead of simply keeping his hands off and being curiously silent about it. Aside from suspending the use or the release of the PDAF, he could have asked his people to study the feasibility of putting up a fact finding Truth Commission similar to the one he established to investigate the alleged lying, cheating and stealing of his predecessor but ensuring that this time, it will not be torpedoed by the Supreme Court.
PNoy may not be aware of it, but his passive stance on this outrageous scam is actually being interpreted as simply another political move since some of those implicated belong to his Liberal Party. In fact, his inaction on the PDAF has given rise to the raging clamor from all sectors of society for its abolition such that an indignation rally and protest-march at the Luneta have been called on August 26, 2013 where one million or more are expected to attend.
But the most alarming aspect in this scandalous pork barrel scam is on the probe of the alleged “brains†behind it, Janet Lim-Napoles (JLN). The undue publicity given to her case somehow also became questionable as it relegated to the back ground the other equally sensational wrongdoings involving officials and personalities close to PNoy. In fact the beleaguered JLN felt driven to the wall forcing her to face some journalists on a live interview unassisted by a lawyer where some intriguing matters that raise a lot of questions were advertently or inadvertently revealed. Indeed many people are wondering why she wrote a letter to the Office of the President (0P) when the scam was uncovered and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) started investigating her case. What does she expect the OP to do and who was her lawyer at that time?
The plot has apparently thickened when JLN suddenly disappeared a few days after that interview supposedly to evade arrest by virtue of a warrant issued by a Makati Regional Trial Court, Branch 150 (RTC) in connection with another case. Apparently she got wind of that arrest order before the NBI and/or the Police could carry it out. DOJ Secretary De Lima said that somebody must have tipped JLN of such order, but people cannot help but wonder and inquire why she confirmed before media about the issuance of said warrant on the same day it was issued and before it was carried out.
These intriguing developments have indeed given rise to lots of questions in the peoples’ mind foremost of which is—Was JLN’s disappearance an implementation of a plan designed to silence her because she was on the verge of making revelations damaging to very important people? To erase all these doubts the NBI and the Police must work double time in arresting and presenting her before the RTC, still alive and kicking.
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