Unresolved cases indicate why PH is losing fight against corruption

I read the Sept. 1 editorial “Overtaken,” and I felt envy toward the Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi, one of the recipients of this year’s Ramon Magsaysay Award, for its accomplishment. A 100-percent conviction rate is truly something to trumpet about.

“How did we become less effective at battling graft than a country once defined by it?” the editorial asked. My honest answer is, we don’t have in this country the needed political will to fight corruption.

A government truck hauled illegally cut lumber and brought it to a government office in Mountain Province. The government office paid the dummy supplier for the lumber. This matter was brought to the attention of the Office of the President, through a letter, a copy of which was furnished the Cabinet secretary under whose mandate the government office was, and to the environment secretary more than two years ago. Until now, no credible action has been taken. Total log ban? Not in Mountain Province.

Then there was this wanton dumping of “wastes” from a road-widening work into Bayodan River and Chico River. We brought this to the attention of President Aquino, copy furnished the public works secretary and environment secretary. Again no credible action taken, despite the President’s declaration of the Chico River as a “Tourism Protected River.”

Three years ago or so, we appealed and requested the Commission on Audit, the Department of the Interior and Local Government and other concerned government agencies to investigate the “ghost” P3-million elevator at the Bontoc Commercial Center located at Poblacion Bontoc, Mountain Province. Sad to say, until now, there has been no credible response.

We complained of glaring, pre-arranged, fraudulent, fixed bidding in gross violation of Republic Act No. 9184 (An Act Providing for the Modernization, Standardization and Regulation of the Procurement Activities of the Government and for other purposes) and environmental laws at the Department of Public Works and Highways in the Cordillera Autonomous Region and at the Office of the Ombudsman, copy furnished the public works secretary and the COA chair. Again, sad to say, no credible action has been taken, to date.

In Case No. OMB-L-C-10-0650-J, documents show that the resolution of the case was under review for final disposition, for almost two years. Then suddenly, it was redocketed under another number and is now undergoing another fact-finding investigation? Back to zero?

We can cite many more similar cases of corruption.

These are well-documented cases that have been awaiting resolution for one, two or three years. All of them tell us why the Philippines is less effective in battling corruption. The “evil doers” do not fear the Ombudsman, they do not respect the President, they make fun of the Matuwid na Daan! Why? Because they don’t see in government a strong political will to stop corruption.

—JUNIPER C. DOMINGUEZ,

Sabangan, Mountain Province