Martial Law, Napoles and more

Way into the first of the "ber" months, we are reminded of the Martial Law proclaimed by the dictator Ferdinand Edralin Marcos.

What were those days like under the dictatorship?

Plunder, abuse of power and privilege, curtailment of freedom, including unaccounted for deaths and disappearance of those who opposed the dictator and his cabal and more.

The dead, Ninoy Aquino among the prominent among them, and the missing, possibly eternally silenced as well, cannot be around personally to describe the horror of that cruel period of our history. Their families, however, have survived and so have former detainees and countless other Filipinos who trooped to EDSA, in the month of February, 1986, to topple the dictatorship, risking their lives for doing so.

Plunder remained under various leaders after the dictator Marcos, so have abuse of power and privilege. So far, however, especially under this present administration, freedom is still enjoyed by most Filipinos, unlike those dark days of Marcos rule.

Let us remember this September not to allow anyone else at present or in the future to take away our freedom as individuals, as a people, as a nation.

Will this first "ber" month also allow us to uncover the full range of plunder of public funds?

Filipinos recognize that Napoles is merely one of possible many others involved in stealing billions of public funds channeled through Congress and other seats of power across various levels, national to local. Then, there are the various other government agencies that also need to be effectively audited and exposed.

Expose of anomalies in government was not possible at all during the long years of Marcos rule. Nor were exposes followed up with vigilance and seriousness after Marcos until GMA's administration. Will the P-Noy government truly commit itself to the full disclosure and unraveling of the full extent of corruption soonest?

Will there be enough left in Congress and in other local seats of power once the full disclosure of corruption is uncovered?

What Filipinos are very sure about is the loss of so much billions of public funds year in and year out. What should have trickled down, especially to the most needy among our people, the hungry, the sick, the homeless, the unemployed, the uneducated - did not. The faces of poverty, the faces of victims of corruption are all over, they are legion. Yet, the corrupt and the abusive only saw their own reflection and interest.

Will the powerful female team at the Commission on Audit, Ombudsman, Justice Department and BIR, among others, be responsible for finally putting order, integrity, accountability, and our public funds back to our people? They deserve our gratitude, appreciation, and prayers for doing their jobs excellently, genuinely in the service of God and our people.

Will the Church also be part of this sweeping need for accountability and honesty in our country? Will Cardinal Tagle lead the campaign to uncover as well of those involved in the pork barrel scam within the Church?

Filipinos are asking the still unanswered question whether Cardinal Tagle has started the investigation of the priests involved with Napoles.

Is it true that the Quiapo priest, according to news accounts, shamelessly brought the image of the most revered Black Nazarene for private viewing and private prayer time of Napoles? 

When one remembers how many thousands or millions of Filipinos would push their way just to touch the Nazarene, even at the risk of losing their lives, the special privilege given by the Quiapo priest to Napoles merits more than censure.

And if it will also be proven that the Quiapo and other priests and religious stayed at residences provided by Napoles from the stolen public funds of our people, will Cardinal Tagle also recommend charges filed against abusive religious?

What about the religious who received vehicles and other perks through the pork barrel from Congress and from public funds of local officials? Will the Catholic Church not spare any abusive and corrupt in their midst?

Will Cardinal Tagle include as well the investigation as well of local priests who refuse to say mass in remote localities unless the community turns over a chapel and the ownership of the land to the priests?

It is only the first month of the "ber" months but can we look forward as a people with hope and faith that indeed, that finally, we are all on the way to full cleansing of this nation, for the complete healing vs corruption and abuse from here on?

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