Who fears the truth?

The web of corruption now being exposed by the alleged Janet Napoles expose has  expanded from fake NGOs to the Congress to the Senate and now to the Judiciary. This case has  gone beyond the pork barrel and is approaching the level of a mafia-like syndicate or syndicates operating in our society.

 The intriguing question is whether the “hunt for the truth” begins with Napoles or is she simply part of a corruption chain that has been unearthed by the crusade we now call Daang Matuwid? For example, are the syndicates in the Bureau of Customs and the alleged oil smuggling cases really separate corruption chains?

Listening to the netizens and bloggers can be a heavy educational experience. One has to be able to separate those who are serious commentators and those who are online purely as a joy ride or as some form of exhibitionists.

Recently I received an email which asked a few questions that may give a perspective to the ongoing events. This netizen asked the following questions:

Under whose presidency was Gloria Pulido Tan appointed as head of the Commission on Audit? Under whose presidency was the much talked about COA audit report brought to the attention of the public and to the Senate? This is, of course, the COA that allegedly implicated the names of four senators – Enrile, Revilla, Estrada, Honasan – in the Napoles pork barrel scam.

Under whose presidency was the Department of Justice ordered to pursue investigation of the fake NGOs and the testimonies of the whistleblowers again implicating several officials in all three branches of government – executive, legislative, judiciary? Under whose presidency was Leila de Lima appointed as Secretary of Justice?

Under whose presidency was Gloria Macapagal Arroyo arrested? Under whose presidency was Janet Lim Napoles arrested?

P-Noy has pledged in his “hunt for truth” he will go wherever and to whomever the evidence will lead. With this pledge and with the arrest of Napoles, one would expect that those who are seriously and sincerely interested in the truth and in removing corruption from our society would be rejoicing. Instead there are a few discordant voices who actually seem disappointed by the possibility of the truth about corruption will finally be exposed.

First, there are those who are already questioning and undermining the sincerity of the Aquino administration and the credibility of the whistleblowers and Janet Lim Napoles. Already, some senators and congressmen named in the COA report are already professing that this investigation is meant to be simply political persecution against the so-called Opposition. This is surprising since I thought Revilla and Marcos, two names allegedly implicated in the pork barrel scam, were aligned with the majority in the Senate. But, I could be wrong.

Then there are those who were complaining why it was taking so long to find Napoles. Now they are complaining that the events moved so fast.  From them we hear terms like “drama” or “telenovela.” They seemed very disappointed that P-Noy was able to bring about the surrender so quickly.

But there are other protestations that I find really disconcerting. A Manila auxiliary bishop was quoted as saying: “It is not only the previous administration that was involved but also the present one. That fact should be accepted.”

Either the bishop is not aware of the judicial process called “due process” which means innocent until proven guilty or he believes he has spiritual powers to determine guilt or innocence by himself. But if he really knows certain “facts” as he calls them, then he must have the courage to present this to the public even in a Senate hearing. His statements are so sweeping and generalized that it implicates everyone in the past and present administration. I wonder what Cardinal Tagle will say about comments like this.

Then there are the self-styled people’s organizations who had the audacity to join the anti-pork barrel rally in Luneta when they are also major beneficiaries of the pork barrel.  Last year, according to the budget department records, among the PDAF recipients were Bayan Muna which received P124.7 million; Anakpawis, P52.3 million and this year P20 million; Alliance of Concerned Teachers P20 million in 2011 and P70 million in 2012; and Kabataan P23 million in 2011. According to the records the Makabayan coalition has released a total of P674.215 million in pork barrel funds so far.

The principal tool for the investigation of the pork barrel scam, and wherever else the evidence will lead to, is a bureaucratic sounding agency called the Inter- Agency Anti Graft Coordinating Council. Its acronym is an awkward sounding IAAGCC.

But it is the composition of the members of the council that has made people sit up and take notice. It is composed of three women that have been dubbed by some writers as the Three Furies. In Greek mythology the “the Three Furies” were the feared avenging goddesses known as the “Angry Ones.” They were born from the “falling drops of blood” of Uranus when he was mutilated by his son Cronos.

In works of art, they are depicted as solemn and purposeful maidens. No prayer, no sacrifice or tears could move them or protect the object of their prosecution. If they ever felt that the criminal would escape them, they called the assistance of the goddess Dike also known as Justice. This is definitely not a posse a criminal would want hunting him or her.

The three members of the IAAGCC are Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Ombudsman Conchita  Carpio Morales and COA Commissioner Grace Pulido Tan.

P-Noy and the “Three Furies” have assured the nation of a credible and fair investigation. They have promised that the truth will be revealed. If all those already, and soon to be, implicated have nothing to hide, then they should welcome the truth with arms as wide open as all the people who attended the gathering in Luneta last Monday.

But for those who brazenly scoff at the truth, thinking it will never catch up with them, obviously underestimate the full wrath of P-Noy and the Three Furies.    

*   *   *

Email: [email protected]