The tale continues

Our storytelling of the anomalous contractors continues. The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearings have been very interesting, as well as those being conducted in the House. It seems like the legislature is very keen on ensuring that somebody should be held accountable, as it should be. With every question asked and every answer dodged, there sits an ordinary Filipino with clenched fists --an expression of anger and frustration at where their hard-earned money is going. It is amusing how we watch these contractors go through the eye of the needle in these hearings, while the rest who are yet to attend are now scampering to hide their ill-gotten money and stash away their luxurious objects.

How did we even reach this point? It seems like the mechanisms set up by the government to deter corrupt practices within implementing agencies were either bypassed or rendered useless. It's not only unique to one area but has apparently become a sick practice happening all over the country. Every peso entrusted to the national treasury is no longer accounted for properly, as national funds are funneled into overpriced materials, padded contracts and, worse, the ever-controversial allegations of ghost projects. The Filipino people are being victimized by their own countrymen, deceived into believing that our taxes will go into good hands.

The narrative becomes even more interesting as reporters in Cebu discover that there's a Discaya-led project in the town of Liloan. It involves a flood control structure along a portion of the Cotcot River. Records show that the contract was awarded to Alpha and Omega General Contractor and Development Corp., in a joint venture with MC Geometric Proportions Inc. One cannot help but wonder if the work is now being expedited, fearful of the backlash it might receive.

The sense of seeking accountability is one that must continue within ourselves. We are entitled to transparency regarding what's going on, but it shouldn't stop there. We must also be vigilant in demanding a probe into the involvement of sitting House representatives who may have ties to these anomalous contractors. In Cebu, it has been observed that several major personal events of these contractors such as weddings, baptisms, and birthday celebrations are being attended by prominent politicians. They must have become like family over time, almost without the public noticing. Either that, or there's a deeper, more troubling reason for their close proximity and frequent presence at such intimate gatherings.

If you ask about the possibility of anybody being held liable for all of this, we aren't so sure when or if that will ever happen, and who among them will bear the brunt of the law. The questions now are aimed at multiple targets, but it remains unclear if they will ever prosper into convictions, sanctions, or concrete reforms. For now, what we have is a spectacle, an inquiry in aid of legislation that we hope will be fruitful and not just some television show that amuses and enrages us in equal measure.