Have you come across that one Facebook page that regularly bashes this one local lady politician for allegedly having assets valued in the vicinity of P500 million?
The bashing stems from the fact that there is no apparent proof she could have accumulated that wealth from what she makes as a public servant—not even if the salary from all her years as mayor of a little town in the Province were saved up. And she’s on her third and last term.
Now, I don’t know if the allegations are true, but I have to say that it is disturbing.
It is disturbing because if they are true, then the government has lost so much money that could have been used to repair or build much-needed farm-to-market roads, maintenance or replacement of capital assets that could now be nearing their life cycle, or for livelihood programs to benefit the poor, to name a few.
It is even more disturbing because it fools the people, the voters, who have put their trust and their hopes for the future in the hands of the people they voted into office.
If the allegations are true, then they have been taken for suckers; they have been bamboozled; they’ve had the rug taken from under their feet! It could be likened to stealing children’s lollipops after kissing them!
Then again, why would the administrator/owner of this FB account can so boldly make this up if there was strong evidence to counter their allegations? They will be risking a huge lawsuit!
As you know, these allegations have been around for some time now, and it boggles my mind, as it should yours, that the subject has not gotten tired of it.
At the very least, it will make anyone angry if the allegations bore no truth to them, as the subject has allegedly said. She should be fuming!
For me, the simplest way to counter these allegations is to make the denial official. In other words, declare publicly, perhaps in a press conference, that it bears no truth.
She can present a verifiable paper trail leading back to the source of such wealth, proving it is not the coffers of the government. Then, she should file a defamation case against the owner/s of the FB account, and let the courts decide.
What legitimate entity that owns real estate, commercial or not, will not have official documents to show the source of its capital? Maybe there was a bank loan, or simply a diversification of an old family business. Whatever it is, it should have a verifiable history, if it were legitimate, of course.
I think that would end the allegations quickly, removing the embarrassment which even I feel for the subject.
But I’m pretty sure the post I saw isn’t the only one on this topic, nor will it be the last. There will be others, and they won’t stop unless the people can see proof that the wealth is not ill-gotten.
There’s a saying now that if one wants to be rich in the Philippines, one only has to run for an elected office in government. It opens the door to riches!
It is unfortunate, though, that this has yet to be proven untrue. While our sanity tries so hard to prevent us from believing it, some of these politicians sure give us reasons to doubt.
There is simply no rhyme or reason that some of them should be as rich as they are now, when all they had/have in life that is of any significance is their elected office.
In some instances, even some of their kin say there is no logical reason why they have become so rich. Would there be reason not to believe those who have known them all their lives?
While there are people who have clearly become rich only after holding public office, there are also those who have always owned businesses prior to politics that have seen an inordinate amount of growth after they were elected. Hmmm!
You know, real, legitimate business people, even the wealthiest in the country, are not as extravagant with their money as these politicians are. They are the ones who mind what they spend their money on. And to think that their families have been worth millions or even billions for generations! They are not too worried if they “belonged” or not because no matter what, they are truly rich, and can sleep soundly at night. You don’t see them flaunt their wealth. And most of them contribute to charitable causes.
Then we have politicians who just love to flaunt their unexplained wealth, even though they know there will be lots of questioning looks trained their way.
That, obviously, will make for a very uncomfortable feeling in anyone. But for the guilty, not to feel uncomfortable or embarrassed by this has to be the biggest indication that corruption does not bother them!
Will they likely continue doing it? What do you think? However you skin it, it is a spectacularly brazen act.
As some people’s comments seem to indicate, the allegations against this lady politician may be part of the opposition’s efforts to discredit her because she is running for an even higher office in the May 2025 elections.
Well, I think that would be an even more urgent reason why she should now prove the allegations wrong. A very good accountant can certainly help her put together evidence of the legitimacy of her wealth, while a very good lawyer can properly present them. It would only help her to do so, and quickly, because May is just around the corner.
I don’t know if it would make her feel any better or less embarrassed to know that the same FB page also bashes other politicians. However, this article deals with the countless allegations leveled at her. The others? Maybe in another article. One at a time, as they say.
I don’t dare question the loyalty of her followers, but without a convincing reply from her, and as soon as possible, some may just wake up after smelling the coffee. There is no reason to believe now that she will happily settle for a loss, but she may not have any other choice if she doesn’t nip this in the bud! She can only cross her fingers and pray the flower has not formed yet.
The way it is now, whether this gets settled or not, it will remain a stain in the political climate of not only the little town she’s mayor of, but the entire Province and, to a certain degree, even the country.
Like all other controversial political issues, if left unsettled, this may eventually extinguish itself but, as the phrase goes, the wound will leave a scar.
If fate does not favor her, it may become the proverbial wound that never heals.
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