Manila and Calamba—the twain must meet

That President Aquino is himself not corrupt is a huge boon. But it’s not enough. The corruption of the past administration bears down on us like the rock of Sisyphus—no thanks to the bearers of the “move-on mentality.”

Like a litany of scoundrels set against the litany of saints, the corruption list is so long and grows longer, that we forget its contents, as they hit the headlines one after another, canceling each other out. Our househelp puts it perfectly: “Ay, imbestigasyon na naman hanggang makalimutan.” That perception may be countrywide.

How much do we see of the government’s fight against corruption? Pretty sensational but pretty small. There’s the opening salvo in the papers and the TV investigations, as riveting as a Pacquiao fight. I’m all for live TV coverage, but I hope it has not reduced exposés to a voyeurism where usis exclaim “ay, umiyak na si Mrs. Ligot”; “naku, tumaas ang presyon ni FG.” And then, it’s “forget.” Where’s the continuation and resolution?

In a meeting of Teresa Makabayan, a group of graduates from St. Theresa’s College Manila, Dita dropped the seed of a suggestion that we hope some paper or the Internet picks up. Let the seed grow. How about an “On-Going” four-column list of: exposés/cases/suits, persons/groups named/ accused, amounts involved, status/stage. A colored sidebar could come out regularly, updated with hoped-for progress in “status,” or an item deleted because it has been “solved,” finally.

Remember? Archbishop Oscar Cruz’s jueteng exposé, and the PCSO and Pagcor exposés, the “Hello Garci,” the Pajero bishops (the car brand is not the point); the “agriculture scandal” like the fertilizer, irrigation, swine, NFA rice scams; the Ampatuan massacre; human rights cases of killed, or disappeared activists/journalists/church leaders; the NorthRail scam, bribes (envelopes, racion, contribucion), the NBN-ZTE project; such greedy eyes as to include lamp posts and election folders; a slew of generals (Garcia, Ligot, Reyes, who else?) with pabaon, euros, dollars; the PNP and the helicopters, the recent “6th plunder case vs. Arroyos” (Inquirer, 9/9/11) etc.—each running to millions and billions of pesos.

The foregoing is what happens “upstairs.” But equally important because relatively unseen but continually gnawing at the woodwork, are the varying shades of corruption “downstairs.” Pundits have repeated that governance must reciprocally move and meet up-down and down-up.

“Down” in Calamba, a flagship city in Laguna, with an impressive City Hall and plaza with the tallest statue of Rizal, and site of homes for policemen and soldiers—salespeople, brokers, realtors, developers, surveyors, lawyers, bankers, backed by professional groups in the first and second districts of Laguna, have united for a significant “first” in citizen action “to awaken the people,” to show that “vigilance is necessary,” for “who else will, and when?”

Letters have been sent to City Mayor Joaquin Chipeco, Rep. Justin Chipeco and Eulalio Diaz III, LRA (Land Registration Authority) administrator, seeking the replacement of lawyer Joven Alegre, Register of Deeds, for “anomalous and discriminatory practices” in his office.

Common complaints are: weeks or months to get certified true copies of  titles, to register a mortgage, to issue titles after sale or partition/subdivision—understandable to a degree for required papers and clearances but not for “weeks and months.” How come some transactions are fast-tracked, some delayed, in opposition to the “first in-first out” rule? Three culprits are named: “persuasion,” “representation,” and “understanding”—words that anyone traveling the bureaucratic jungle knows; words that are not just rumors but realities that one must deal with. Add “untouchable” and “connection” and poor Juan stands helpless and hapless.

The “defense” sidesteps the issues and advances accomplishments despite heavy workload, backlog, overtime; promises to act and punish accordingly; finds a new whipping dog in the difficulties of computerization with a baffling statement that “in so many cases, processing of documents takes a longer time than under the manual system”; and gives an equally baffling notice that “any complaints shall be brought to my attention personally.”

Who will prevail? Will the man in Manila accommodate the man in Calamba? Will the former look the other way or come to look at the Register of Deeds record, the Entry book, the Release of Documents? Will he listen to his man alone or listen to citizens as well?

The situation is replicated in government offices all over the land. It’s a test case that must succeed to encourage citizens to fight instead of remaining silent and to warn public officials to serve honestly or go. P-Noy’s bosses are speaking in Calamba. Manila must listen.

Asuncion David Maramba is a retired professor, book editor and occasional journalist. Comments to marda_ph @yahoo.com, fax 8284454