What is your answer to this question of the day? Think hard, do we need to focus on the Napoles saga to find the answers?
Sadly, while the Napoles saga opened a can of worms, the existence of such Mafia- like transactions when it comes to government funds has flourish, and improved through a series of administrations.
Such revelation is not new; in fact, it’s just the tip of the iceberg. At least now, the administration of P-Noy has professed to go by their motto Dito tayo sa matuwid na daan!
By going the “straight and narrow way of righteousness”, the government had taken its gloves off, to apply the law to all perpetrators of such heinous crime, a betrayal of trust against the people.
Let us leave the Napoles saga to the national government, and look inward, locally: Do we have a similar anomaly when it comes to government funds?
The answer is positive.
Do all the people understand the width and depth of a disallowed P955 million-disbursement?
By any definition, this is every serious, and requires more conscious efforts for the local media, anti crime watch groups, the Church, the universities, and civil society.
They need to take notice and make sure that such an irregularity or illegal disbursement of public funds does not go unpunished. It is high time that each citizen should hold the people elected into positions of power and privilege in our local governments accountable for their official acts.
How many times have we turned away from gross and blatant abuse of public positions like tarpaulins with faces of politicians paid for by government funds or motor vehicles with red plates used for private purposes? Expenses for cellphones and cell phones charges amounting to millions, every year? And what else have you observed? Mahiya naman sila!
Corruption is a moral perversity characterized by dishonest practices, without regard for honor, right, and justice, taking advantage of a public office or position of trust or employment to gain material wealth, profits from anomalous contracts, among others.
Graft is acquisition of gain or advantage by unfair or sordid means, such as embezzlement or illegal disbursement or appropriation of public funds, which find its way to personal pockets of people.
We do not have to look far because it is happening right under our noses!
Let’s do our share as citizens. Let us be anti-graft & corruption watchdogs in our own ways.
Enough! Tama na! Sobra na!
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Author’s email: whelmayap@yahoo.com
