Let us not forget

The people have spoken vs. PDAF. The Supreme Court confirmed the unconstitutionality of the PDAF. Is the PDAF then history? Is the PDAF finally removed from the personal pockets and bank accounts of Congress and restored to its rightful owners and users, the Filipino people?

With the passage of next year's budget, we all need to continue to scrutinize if no PDAF has been deliberately hidden or diverted back to those in Congress through some legal or bureaucratic maneuvers. We have to remain vigilant before, during, and after the release of any public funds from now on.

Preoccupied as we all are about the disasters that affected our people and communities, we will still need to give committed time and attention as well that the PDAF will never ever again be usurped for personal agenda by any public official or individual.

There are still many in Congress who remain ignorant about their role as legislators. Many lament their inability to serve their constituents without their PDAF. Why do these illiterate and selfish in Congress think PDAF is their property? And why do they have a very wrong idea about how to serve our people?

Patronage has retained its strong control over politics and those whose main aim is to enrich themselves, not at all to provide real service to the public, are trapped in this web of patronage.

Corruption has also gone unchecked for so long and has so seeped down from the top to the barangays, even the relief operations and goods have not been spared. We need to remember to continue to be vigilant about PDAF, patronage, corruption and the corrupt. The corrupt and abusive have also not been successfully persecuted and punished.

In this comprehensive campaign to retrieve public funds, we need to remember whose side we are on: are we for those who want to continue the culture and practice of patronage, corruption, and self-service or are we together with those who want to retrieve PDAF, real public service, transparency and our dignity as a people?

In this vigilant, unceasing campaign for a better Philippines for our people, we need to be clear about who are leading us to that goal and who are merely diverting us, appearing as if they were truly sensitive and mindful of our people, but in fact, are merely using all the means they can to derail, even depose, those who wish to install sustainable mechanisms for honest and transparent governance and genuine public service for our people.

Let us not forget therefore to know who are our true allies and who are those who wish for us to return to that whole culture of patronage, corruption, deceit, and abuse. Let us encourage and support those who, despite threats to their lives, are doing their best to secure justice for all --Leila de Lima? and  Justice Conchita Carpio Morales come to mind-- we can also add some of the present Supreme Court justices. Let us also remember those who are trying to protect and secure our public funds (COA Chairman Gracia Pulido Tan and BIR Chief Kim Henares), and those who are always on the ground, serving our people like DSWD's Dinky Juliano-Soliman.

You may also have other names to add here, please send us your list of those we all need to support to sustain this campaign for honest, transparent governance and where justice is served to all equally, and hopefully, more quickly from here on.

In the midst of the present grief and pain brought by the disasters, let us remember to offer our positive encouragement and prayers for all those who are truly clear about their role and collaboration with all of us who long and hope for a better country, a better today and tomorrow, for all our people.

Let us ourselves never forget that our goal is to unite everyone, and for everyone to be rendered justice and be given effective and honest, transparent public service no matter what, whether disasters come or not.

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