This refers to the editorial on the controversy arising from Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa’s free trip to Las Vegas, courtesy of Sen. Manny Pacquiao (“Propriety,” Opinion, 11/ 17/16). The Inquirer seems perplexed why Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre feels there are more important things worth the government’s time and resources than Dela Rosa’s junket to Las Vegas. An article on the internet (https:// news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/11/16/dela-rosa-on-free-vegas-trip-kasalanan-pala-yon) explains why, apparently, Dela Rosa himself, among many other public officials who were invited by the latter to watch the fight, was chosen to be a recipient of the senator’s largesse. In the report, Pacquiao admitted buying 2,000 tickets (worth over $1 million at an average cost of $500 apiece or P24,500) to the fight, for giveaways.
The assumed cost of the ticket alone cannot be considered insignificant by any standard, and if the plane fare and the accommodations in Las Vegas are thrown in, the total cost could amount to a few thousand dollars.
Republic Act No. 6713 penalizes the mere act of receiving gifts of value by public officials from any person other than a member of his family or relative, if the value of the gift is neither nominal nor insignificant, regardless of the motive or reason for the gift-giving.
With the admission coming straight from the gift-giver’s mouth, if the law is applied without fear or favor, the named recipients of the largesse clearly face a fine, the equivalent of six months’ salary and suspension from office not exceeding one year, or removal therefrom. These heavy penalties only serve to underscore the seriousness of the offense.
I fully support the editorial’s proposition that because of President Duterte’s pledge to fight corruption during his presidency, his lieutenants should not only comport themselves with propriety but also behave like Caesar’s wife—above suspicion.
Keep up the good work.
MANUEL TAYAG, San Lorenzo Village, Makati City