Ominous news reports nationwide now bare the list of not less than 90 government officials allegedly involved in the pork barrel scam. In an attempt to save their tainted images, many of those said to be in the list have since issued denials. The problem with this list or any other list is that it could emanate from anybody who has his/her own little agenda. The list would not mean anything without accompanying evidences. As it is, they are simply fodders for “tsismis”

But still, this burgeoning issue rests upon the Department of Justice (DOJ) to resolve. 

The guilty should be punished

Graft and corruption cases in the Philippines have always overwhelmed our courts. Out of at least 2,600 cases filed and pending before the Sandiganbayan, not more than 100 cases are resolved each year. What about cases yet to be exposed?

Senator Franklin Drilon said that it usually takes five to eight years to promulgate decisions on a typical case. This sounds intolerable if we really want to eradicate corruption in the country. I assume that some lawmakers involved who are now advanced in age may be dead by the time the wheels of justice turn – if at all they turn.  

House and hospital arrest: the wheel chair escapade

What is expected of the fate of the big names involved in the PDAF scam - Enrile, Estrada and Revilla? Maybe their hospital beds are ready as well as their doctors and medication.  Expect the give-me-that-wheel-chair-drama too.

In 18 November 2011, former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was arrested on the basis of a complaint filed by the Commission on Elections against her for electoral sabotage among others. Citing some illness which unsurprisingly went public during her arrest, she has successfully become a “hospital patient” at the Veterans Memorial Hospital and has since remained in custody there for two years.

The former president, quite recently, in a resolution issued by the Ombudsman, has been cleared from all the charges emanating from her alleged involvement in the P728-million fertilizer fund scam. In addition, she has been cleared by the Office of the Ombudsman in her alleged involvement in the misuse of PCSO intelligence fund. The “Hello-Garci” scandal of 2004 just bid its goodbye too.

The lawmakers as lawbreakers

Lately, De Lima has described the huge number of government officials involved in the PDAF scandal as shown in a list as unprecedented and of historical proportion. Undeniably, the most corrupt government officials are those in the higher offices. Principally, in the hotspot were former presidents, a senate leader, senators, a considerable number of congressmen and many local officials.

But given our track record, chances are these lawmakers involved in the scam will use their power and position to scheme their way to exoneration.

With the huge number of politicians being implicated, the DOJ is now once again thrust into the spotlight - hands full, nets ready and yet, a big burden rests upon the shoulders of Justice Sec. Leila de Lima to prove that the justice system in the Philippines still works.

I see nothing new in this picture. The country may have improved its ranking in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) from 105th in 2012 to 94th last year as reported by Transparency International. This result is still dismal. We are still among the very least transparent countries and by definition we are a corrupt country!

And we could be the laughingstock of the world.  Just imagine for a moment that the ‘Napolist’ were true:

We could have a senate that could hold a quorum in jail – or for that matter, a whole ward at the Veterans Memorial Hospital. When they call for a senate hearing ‘in aid of legislation’ will they still be addressed as ‘Honorable’?

Can the members of the lower house create committees? Can the Upper Ward (the Senate) pass on bills to the Lower Ward (Congress)?

Only in the Philippines!

The slow pace of justice in the Philippines

President Ramon Magsaysay once famously said that “he who has less in life must have more in law.” Apparently, this is not the case in this country. The slow pace of justice in the country often favors the rich and influential. The moneyed can hire the best lawyers rendering the whole justice system inutile and utterly insignificant in the fight against graft and corruption.

Without so much as a need for a caveat, we are all aware of the pattern of deceit in Philippine politics and justice system. They have mostly become open to rent-seeking and private entrepreneurship. Moral integrity seems to be out of the picture. The Filipino has been a helpless witness to a system that has been rendered useless by those with vested interest who manipulate the weaknesses of our institutions. There are only a handful of government officials sent to jail for their abuses. Without argument, in a country where fairness during trial is wanting, punishing some big fish seems to be next to impossible.

To a corruption-free government

Ours is a problem of moral leadership for those at the helm of power and an electorate that has shown a nonchalant attitude towards governance. We have to invest in winning the trust of our people. Filipinos are discouraged because their government is perceived to be no more than some mafia organization. The taxpayer has no motivation to pay the right taxes, convinced that government funds will only go to the pockets of corrupt government officials. We have to win back the confidence of our people. This is not just a matter of house cleaning. What we need is a total overhaul of the system.

The basic idea is by just doing things right. The government exists for one simple reason – public service. Beyond providing for the basic welfare of each, a functioning government will clearly emphasize to all that it means business; that it exists to protect the weak from the strong; and that it is duly established to ensure that everyone gets justice.