When the INQUIRER broke the news on the P10-billion pork barrel scam that a group led by Janet Lim-Napoles allegedly pulled, the first thing that came to my mind was that the investigation should end not just with mere hearings and reports but in the conviction of those who took part and benefited from it. In a country where more than 20 percent of the population cannot afford to eat three square meals a day and where less than 20 percent of our youth can go to college because of poverty, the amount involved in this scam is simply appalling and staggering, to say the least.
If our government is very serious about sending the message to every Filipino that the days of graft and corruption are over, then the best way to send it is by ensuring that those who perpetrated this massive scam will spend the rest of their lives in jail.
Even more disappointing and shocking is that the “public servants” the people trusted with their vote and future are the very ones who are now alleged to be into this scam. According to reports, certain senators misused hundreds of millions of pesos which could have easily been used to build more shelters for the homeless and even provide health insurance for every Filipino. Sadly, these senators are the ones who continue to proclaim to high heavens that they are the champions of the masses and the marginalized when in reality they are the ones who ensure that many of our Filipino brothers and sisters continue to remain poor and powerless.
In a country where the majority remains poor, P10 billion is no laughing matter and the only way to make sure that this never happens again is for our government, led by President Aquino, to show that in our country, a heinous crime like this does not pay.
—HARVEY S. KEH, lead convenor,
Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership, harveykeh@gmail.com