Full of lies, whitewashing, alibis, ignorance of law, deadma! This is how I analyze the testimonies of two controversial figures that further put a stamp of credibility to the findings that the Philippines is the 5th most corrupt country in the world: JOC JOC BOLANTE and GEN. ELIZEO DELA PAZ.
Bolante was indeed well-rehearsed in his answers. Who would not be after a long hibernation? He was a mere Undersecretary in the Department of Agriculture in charge with Finance and Administration.
He alone worked for the release of the 728 million peso budget of his department for the utilization of farm implements. He alone determined which provinces, municipalities, and cities (read: congressmen, governors and mayors) shall receive part of the budget.
He, in his lonesome, released the money to the intended beneficiaries. And after releasing the money, he said that his Office is no longer under obligation to determine, monitor and supervise whether or not the money was indeed spent for the purpose.
He would like us to believe that he has no connection at all to the three fertilizer suppliers (which even did not possess track records on sale of fertilizers) which cornered the contracts; that he does not know of any anomaly in the utilization of the budget (having been detained for two years in the US); that the President and the DAR Secretary have no participation, whatsoever, for the release of such huge budget, its utilization and its monitoring; that the budget was in fact not used to advance the campaign and election of PGMA in the 2004 election.
Hahahaha! Lokohin mong lelang mo! What do you think of the Filipinos? Total idiots? I tell you, Bolante, you will have a place in hell, and so are the political officers and private persons who personally benefited from the money.
“I did it on my own behalf”, thus said Gen. De la Paz in his testimony in the Senate last Saturday. He would like us to believe that he was the requesting officer and at the same time the approving officer of the 7 million “contingency fund” (later referred to as intelligence fund to buy sophisticated gadgets in Russia).
In saying so, he clearly would like to absolve his superiors Gen. Jesus Versoza and DILG secretary Ronaldo Puno from any involvement. That the money was indeed from government funds and not “pabaon” of lobby groups. That PNP disburses money in cash and not in check (the reason why there is no paper trail to determine where the money came from).
On questions that the Philippines has an existing treaty with the US wherein we can only buy military equipment from the US, why was there no intelligence officer in the delegation to supervise the acquisition of intelligence equipment, and on whether the Philippines had bought in the past intelligence equipment in Russia – de la Paz did not answer.
But at least, unlike Bolante, dela Paz profusely apologized and announced full responsibility. He is even willing to go to jail and impliedly admitted, by his own statements, his own culpability. Our senators are mixed in emotions and empathies. De la Paz might have some justifications to stay in purgatory, rather than in hell.
Investigations would be over soon. The ball would now be in the Office of the Ombudsman. Honorable Merceditas Gutierrez – please save the souls of these two scapegoats by prosecuting them and all the people who have direct and indirect liabilities for their indiscretion, whether by active participation or deliberate omission, with the full force of the law.
Who knows, they might be rehabilitated in our penitentiary and may soon be forgiven of their sins. Show to us that people are wrong in their perception of you and your office, even in these two cases. Otherwise, you, too, will be scorched in hell. Yes, I am that furious!
