Every now and then, the government embarks on a crusade to catch a "big fish." Well, it need not go too far, for right under its ilong-gated nose is one that would make a butanding look like a butete. Matter of fact, not only is it Leviathan-like, it’s also an octopus with plunger-like suctions.
I am referring to the old Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), a misnomer of course since it gave itself a stigma for its name. What it showed all these years since its creation was bad governance. Many called it the nation’s "bantay-salakay."
Today I am certain the Marcos administration will clean up the agency with its new leadership. But I hope a full-scale investigation will clear up all officials from past administrations. These individuals have been reported to be living it up in contented silent opulence from the hundreds of millions of pesos they plundered in their short stint in the PCGG.
Many former PCGG officials benefitted from several Marcos cronies who escaped persecution and sequestration of their assets by simply handing over half of these assets to well-placed relatives who are lawyers.
It has been reported that no less than President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had admitted in the past to having $500 million in deposits in Swiss banks, 75% of which the Marcos family was willing to give back to the country and keep 25% for themselves. But he insisted that this amount was not stolen from the coffers of the country, and instead was earned and saved legitimately by their family through the late FM’s legal practice and business investments.
This I believe because an unimpeachable source once told me about this as well. Bongbong speaks the truth here and documents will prove it. Today, the PCGG, under a new leadership, must live up to its name. This is a tall order from Malacañang.
The privilege hour
Congressmen and Senators who take too much time abusing the privilege hour to harass their political opponents and extort money from businessmen deserve not a bit of respect at all from the citizenry.
For many years, the public has complained about legislators who attack their enemies in privilege speeches, knowing that they may not be sued for slander, because such speeches are covered by parliamentary immunity.
So many lives and fortunes have been damaged by irresponsible privilege speeches, so much so that people want to do away with these altogether. If they’re not destructive, they’re downright boring, having poorly researched and crafted mediocre congressional staffers. Even presidents in the past have been lambasted by legislators who wanted to pressure Malacañang into granting concessions.
From a not-so-recent past, one senator became famous for scathing speeches against Malacañang. He was reported to have collected some P500,000 for every speech he delivered on the floor, and another P500,000 he did not deliver against a former president. His assistant would deliver to Malacañang a copy of his smoking gun of a speech, and presidential aides would be on their feet looking for funds to pay the senator to keep his mouth zipped.
I hope the current Speaker has never abused the privilege hour and neither has he coerced anybody through the power of congressional subpoenas. Many businessmen and corporations will agree with this because many too have been victimized in the past, and continue to be victimized by abusive privilege speeches.
These individuals claim to have been harassed by certain congressional committees which wanted only to fleece them of big amounts under pain of congressional investigations or even through legislation.
The privilege hour consumes too much time and can be utilized for deliberations on pending important measures. These measures are almost always put on hold when solons take to the floor.
On the other hand, committee hearings too have been abused by congressmen, when invited guests or ‘resource persons’ are known to be terrorized by brusque legislators. These committee hearings, more often than not, have been transformed into torture chambers and inquisition cells for political and business rivals of lawmakers.
And while these hearings are justified by “in aid of legislation,” the public knows better and scoffs at them as they usually hide some vile intentions. Clearly, “in aid of legislation” turns out simply as “in aid of extortion.” It is said that many government officials (before E.O. 464)) quake in their boots and are numbed with fear each time they are called for congressional hearings.
This is true especially during budget hearings where executive department officials have to justify their funding requests. It is during these hearings that officials are coerced into agreeing to allocate plum posts for proteges of legislators, or to reserve mouth-watering contracts for their business associates.
Several appointive officials report that in consideration and approval of discretionary and intelligence funds, a portion of the outlays have to be reserved for use by the congressmen. As such, the public wishes to inquire from the legislators the following:
a) How many of you have employed your children and relatives in your office?
b) How many of you have mis-used gargantuan allowances as committee chairmen?
c) How many of you are dishonest with your income taxes and SALNs?
d) How many of you have disappointed the motherland by acquiring US Green Cards? And,
e) How many of you abuse your issued number 8 plates?
Not Palo Alto but Palo Leyte
After having frequented Palo Alto, California back in the nineties, I couldn’t help but recall another famous Palo, this time in Leyte, and what historic even took place there. General Douglas MacArthur and other Americans who waded ashore in Palo, Leyte in 1944 should not be the only ones honored for each year’s Leyte landing commemoration.
Filipino guerillas must also take center stage, for they were the ones who helped make that landing possible by mounting operations against the Japanese in the weeks before the invasion.
One of the men who waded ashore with Gen. MacArthur was a certain Antonio Madrigal. What has become of him? At that time, he was a 26-year old captain serving as military aide to President Sergio Osmena.
A few years ago during another Leyte landing celebration, Capt. Madrigal was presented by then Executive Secretary Teofisto Guingona, to which the former was honored with a state decoration and citation. Capt. Madrigal was asked many questions about the landing itself. He was asked, for instance, whether it was true that Brig. Gen. Carlos P. Romulo – who was very short, nearly drowned when Gen. MacArthur’s party got off the landing barge and started wading ashore.
“That was just a joke,” Madrigal said. He also recalled that among the persons who met the Americans was a pretty young girl named Imelda Romualdez. “Even at that time, her beauty was striking,” he said.
READ MORE:
The 'missing' jewels (April 22, 2024)
'Mr. Chair, you’re out of order!' (April 20, 2024)
Sabah, Philippines? (April 17, 2024)
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