Gutierrez will fall along with Arroyo

Ombusman Merceditas Gutierrez is on a fighting mode. After civil society leaders and former government officials filed an impeachment case against her, Gutierrez reportedly activated her publicists and immediately launched her own "people power." In a rally cum presscon at her turf today, Gutierrez lashed out at former Senate President Jovito Salonga who led the group that filed the complaint.

Gutierrez did'nt mince those hurtful words hurled against the 80 plus year old political and nationalist institution of this country. She accused Salonga of being "complacent" himself when he headed the PCGG.

Not content with what she did, she also targetted Dinky Soliman, whom she accused of just being a good karaoke singer when she was then welfare secretary. Gutierrez would have lambasted all of her detractors, and she would have accused them left and right of violations of public trust.

Her goal--deflect all these accusations against her and spread the blame by necessary implication and involvement. It's like admitting that she, indeed, may have probably been complacent; but those who accused her are as guilty as she is.

Good point Mrs. Ombusman. You may have a very good point in saying that these former government officials are as guilty as you are in violating the principle of public trust.

Like you, they may have committed the same mistakes and wasted public confidence in the institutions of government. Yes, you may be like them, that beneath those thick makeup and maskara lurks a soul so dark and so vicious that it allows evil to persists.

But, Mrs. Ombusman, your arguments are erroneous. As the foremost anti-graft and corrupt practices head, you should be the leader in this campaign.

The fact that you're not speaks of volumes about what you really are--the promoter of the very scourge that you're supposed to fight against.

So what if Salonga and all the rest of the motley crue abandoned their mandates when they were in power. That's the very thing why they are NOT in government right now. They have already made atonement and have been found worthy for the people's trust again.

Gutierrez will definitely fall, along with the leaders of this evil cabal. It will just be a matter of time.

The Cycle of Shame

Have’nt you noticed that everytime this administration’s lackeys escape the long arm of the law, they become more brazen in stealing our money? From 1997 up to 2008, the total money which went out of the public coffers and lined the pockets of corrupt and greedy men has cost us more than 67 billion pesos already–enough to subsidize the daily nutritional requirements of Metro Manila’s poor for 3 years. The spike of graft cases occurred just lately, with government deals reaching over the multi-billion peso mark.

Recently, we saw how multi-million dollar projects turn into billion dollars overnight. One example is the Northrail project. We saw how government officials tried to feast on a multi-million telecommunications which only went sour when the public turn vigilante.

Now, our government is opening up the mining and oil fields sector in hopes of getting some much-needed revenues. It’s actually good if the revenues from these projects go straight to us. In all likelihood, some of it may fatten the bank accounts of a few.

The reason being, most of our government officials have a misplaced concept of accountability. High government officials think that they owe their positions to the appointing power instead of the public. They don’t recognize that those monies which have been entrusted to them belong to the people. Yes, we have checks and balances, like the vaulted Commission on Audit. And yes, we have prosecuting arms that investigate and file cases. Yet, for all of these, we find not a single big one, the mastermind, prosecuted for graft and corruption.

So, the impression that these thieves have is, they can get away with murder for as long as (1) they enjoy the trust of the real powers behind the seat of power and (2) the higher they are in the totem pole, the least likely they’ll be prosecuted and put behind bars. Its understandable, given the laxity our agencies put behind anti-graft campaigns.

So, expect more anomalous deals. Brace for more multi-billion peso ones since elections is just around the corner. These deals are out to fatten the pockets of a privileged few just to keep them happy and contented. Anyway, it’s just a simple paper bearing the Seal of the Highest Office that they keep as license for fiduciary murder.

And we go to the very core of this issue–the perpetuation of this thievery by a patronage-oriented leadership. For as long as we have an administration that is being held hostage by its own savage and greedy officials, graft cases will keep on rising. Look–how many of our leaders would benefit from an impeachment complaint? Most, I guess. Those who’ll support will have the promises of rewards. Those who’ll not, will always have the license to continue what they already started. This cycle of thievery of the highest order has already been there. And it will continue unabated for as long as these people in government fail to recognize that there are dire consequences in life, liberty and property should they misplace their accountabilities. For now, we only have God to go to seek comfort whenever we hear of another government official’s guffaws all the way to the bank.

Betrayal of the Highest Order

While millions of us wallow in hunger and poverty, ten prosecutors serving at the Office of the Ombusman just spent 996,000 pesos for a 10-day observation trip to Denver Colorado. 

This was revealed by Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio over ANC's "Strictly Politics". 

Villa-ignacio, who's now locked in a bitter fight for survival, says that these ten prosecutors, led by Deputy Ombusman Mark Jalandoni, made the trip before they conducted a press conference in support of embattled Ombusman Merceditas Gutierrez.

Just a few days ago, the Philippine Star exposed the on-going "power struggle" between Gutierrez and Villa-Ignacio. Reports say, Gutierrez and some p

alace men want Villa-Ignacio out of his office before 2010. The reason? Villa-Ignacio is a stickler of the law, a paragon of humility and uprightness. 

He can't be bought. Neither can anybody bend the principles of this man who successfully prosecuted former president Joseph "Erap" Estrada. Palace gators are flinching in their seats. After 2010, they risk going to jail because Villa-Ignacio refuses to play their game.

Villa-Ignacio refused to handle the ZTE and the Perez robbery cases simply out of principle. He's being pressured to add credence to these "weak" cases.

Since the ascension of Gutierrez, a known and strong ally of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, as Ombusman, Villa-Ignacio has been stripped of his powers and responsibilities as special prosecutor. His staff has been ordered to report directly to Gutierrez. His budget has been effectively reduced and his powers clipped. He was also charged with graft and corruption. 

Now, his enemies are moving heaven and earth to malign and destroy his reputation. Is this the way this administration reward good people like Villa-Ignacio?

Wagging tongues say Villa-Ignacio's closeness with JDV could probably the reason why he's being eased out of the "inner circle". Others say, the special prosecutor is too upright, too straight a guy for his own good. 

Some coffee shop habitues say Villa-Ignacio is just being made a "sacrificial lamb" by the Arroyo camp who's now engaged in political talks with the Erap camp. His ouster could have been one of the possible "concessions" or "negotiating" points put forward by the Erap camp. 

If that's the case, then, that's a betrayal of the highest order! Is that the reward for those 6 years spent by Villa-Ignacio in researching and attending those trials which led to the conviction of Erap?

And I thought that government has instituted austerity measures due to the worsening food and fuel crises? That's people's money for God's sake!

Wala na bang hiya ang mga taong ito na sa kabila ng kahirapang nadarama ng ating mga kababayan, patuloy naman nilang nilulustay ang pera galing sa pinaghirapang bayarang buwis ng taumbayan?

Napaka walang hiya naman ng mga taong ito! at napakawalang hiya din ng gobyernong ito na magpapahirap sa iilan na lamang na natitirang matitinong taong naglilingkod sa ating mga kababayan!

Binababoy nila ang demokrasya!