Aquino gets ‘good luck’ wish for anticorruption campaign
The conviction of Chief Justice Renato Corona by the impeachment court is a giant step for President Aquino as he pursues his herculean task of battling corruption and the culture of impunity in this country. Unmistakably, it shows a political will being exercised correctly and courageously, refusing to be deterred by partisan (and even religious) obstructionism. The initial results, which include the indictment of such “big fishes” as the former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, former Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza, former Commission on Elections Chair Benjamin Abalos, and Local Water Utilities Authority Chair Prospero Pichay, among others, give us a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel, inspiring hope among a people long frustrated and betrayed.
As it turns out now, it was not as hopeless as it seemed in the past. But then again, it takes two to tango. Whenever he dirties his hand, the erring public servant necessarily has a counterpart from the private sector. This counterpart is called the corruptor. And the corruptor, in his persistent effort to satisfy his greed, always manages to find a partner-in-crime from the government sector.
Should these corruptors not likewise be neutralized and be made to answer for their wrongdoings, at least, to minimize corruption in government?
Admittedly, this is another tough challenge. These “big fishes” are literally big men—in business, in the legal profession or even in some religious organizations.
Good luck, Mr. President!
—GERRY T. MAGLAYA,
