Gloating over ABS-CBN’s fate

No one is more visibly gloating over the demise of ABS-CBN than Solicitor General Jose Calida. President Duterte is, of course, just keeping up appearances that he had no idea that his minions in the House of Representatives were tearing that network’s application for franchise renewal to shreds to please him.

So have presidential chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo and presidential blabbermouth Harry Roque been feigning ignorance all this time and insulting everyone’s intelligence by lying through their teeth.

Calida, for his part, was said to be only concerned with the “rule of law.” That is so rich coming from a “public servant” who was found by the Commission on Audit (COA) to have amassed P7.46 million in excess of the lawful benefits he was entitled to and was categorically ordered to return the same since 2016 (“The unusual power of Jose Calida,” Kris-Crossing Mindanao, 2/17/20).

That was on top of what he was collecting in the millions of taxpayer money per annum as solicitor general. The “tribune of the people” has, of course, shrugged off that COA demand. It seems the saying in the Avelino days of long ago is still very much in vogue: “What are we in power for?”

Is Mr. Duterte really serious about “hating corruption in government”? Calida is already super-rich by all accounts. The amount he owes the people is just a drop in the bucket but can be put to good use during this COVID-19 pandemic. The people now suffering under these extremely difficult times are begging the President to tell his obedient lieutenant to man up and pay what he owes.

Rogelio S. Candelario
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