What happens to the flood control investigation?

This is the common question many people ask these days: What happens to the flood control investigation? Apparently, what started with high expectations, that the culprits would be exposed and held accountable, ended up in total disappointment.

But I’d like to give credit to many patriots who endeavored to keep the fire of public outrage burning. Righteous indignation is never a bad thing. If you don’t get angry about corruption, you consent to it.

Although Zaldy Co quickly left the country, the perception is that he is not the most guilty. Whether he left on his own volition or he was commanded to leave remains unclear.

From the beginning, I’ve known that the culprits would fight back. It would be naïve to think that the investigation would proceed smoothly. With all the money they have stolen from the public coffer, easy money amounting to billions of pesos, corrupt politicians, DPWH officials, and contractors believe they can buy justice. They can set into motion their entire public relations machinery to create a narrative favorable to them. They will muddle the issue ad infinitum until the public becomes exhausted.

The most anti-climactic act came from the Senate itself, when it decided to suspend the investigation. Never mind the Lower House --it has always been the rubber stamp of the highest office of the land. Traditionally, between the Lower House and the Senate, the people have trusted the latter more. This time both houses seem to strike no difference. Both bow down to the wishes of Malacañang.

The flood-control investigation will soon become just one of many unresolved scandals, especially now that the Senate plans to shift its focus to the farm-to-market road overpriced anomaly. This is one way to make the people forget the former.

But very frankly, there seems to be no transaction or project in this country that isn’t riddled with corruption. Every department or office, at one time or another, plunges into corruption controversies, which remain unresolved with the passing of time. BIR, Bureau of Customs, Land Transportation Office, LGUs, etcetera --yes, practically all-- must be heaving a collective sigh of relief since the day the public’s attention has been heavily focused on the flood control.

Then here came the ICI or the Independent Commission for Infrastructure, created by President Bongbong Marcos, tasked to investigate the flood-control project controversy. I’m not sure if the public trusts this body from the start. What I know is that its reputation has been fractured by the leaving of Mayor Benjie Magalong. It doesn’t help when it decided to keep the investigation away from the public eye. It’s simply difficult to justify. It only reinforces the perception that ICI was only created to cover ease public tension and to protect Malacañang.

But what shocks the public even more is the prospect of former speaker Martin Romualdez turning into a state witness, one of the requisites of which is that the accused doesn’t appear to be the most guilty.

“It depends on his narrative and what he can present to (the ICI)”, the Presidential Communications Office undersecretary said.

The ber months have already set in. Christmas is in the air. And the public mood will also soon shift from being angry to being forgiving. Corrupt politicians are aware that the Filipino people have short memory.

But on top of all this is a deep pessimism, rooted in repeated disappointments. We ousted a dictator in 1986, hoping that it would herald a new day for Philippine politics. Yet, decades after the People Power Revolution, nothing has substantially changed. We ousted another president in 2000, yet the one who replaced him was much worse.

Now, we are beset with people power fatigue. All our energies have been sapped. I hope I am wrong.