How many lawmakers or leaders have been found out to be violators of law? How many have been found out to be thieves, stealing money from the people? And how many of them have been punished?
Every year, our country has to contend with a lot of thievery involving public funds. For a while such incidents would rouse public anger, become “the talk of the town,” but eventually the outrage would die out, with the people “moving forward.”
For example, during her presidency, Gloria Arroyo got entangled with at least five controversies (as per Wikipedia), the National Broadband Network scandal being the biggest. However, after endless trials, what happened to the violators? Where are her allies now? Where is Benjamin Abalos now? Has he been given due justice? How about the corruption scandal in the Armed Forces of the Philippines? Was the allegedly stolen money retrieved?
Now we have the P10-billion pork scam? The issue on whether to dump the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) or not is one of the most talked about today. Many suspect that the name of pork barrel, PDAF, would only be changed to give the impression that it has finally been abolished.
However, it’s never too late. Let’s pray, as one nation, for our country, especially for our government, that it be seriously led to “tuwid na daan,” the path of righteous governance.
Last Aug. 26, Filipinos united through the “Million People March” in Luneta, in protest against PDAF. But the protest shouldn’t end there. The people, together with the media, should continue monitoring public expenditures and projects without letup.
—ELEANOR D OBORRO
yayeno@gmail.com