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THE
stink raised by the “cash donations” of the President to
the nearly 200 congressmen she met on Thursday at the
Palace has led Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, who
called the so-called donations outrightly as “bribes,”
to lament on Tuesday, the continuing rot in the morality
of political leaders.
At the
Palace there was a deathly silence but at the House,
militant congressmen filed a joint resolution directing
the House Committee on Ethics and Privileges to
investigate jointly or separately the alleged bribery.
Party-list Reps. Teodoro Casiño of Bayan Muna,
Luzviminda Ilagan of Gabriela and Crispin Beltran of
Anakpawis filed House Resolution 288, which also calls
on the House Committee on Good Government to conduct a
similar inquiry.
The
legislators want the Committee on Ethics and Privileges
to conduct a separate investigation and penalize members
of the House whose actions they said “tainted the
dignity, integrity and reputation of the House and its
members.”
Press
Secretary Ignacio Bunye only said in a text message, “We
take the word of the League of Provinces of the
Philippines, the League of Cities of the Philippines,
and the League of Municipalities of the
Philippines
that none of the local chief executives who attended the
oathtaking requested by Ulap received government
funds.”
Archbishop Lagdameo will not be put off so easily. “With
this sort of thing happening, our country is not only
suffering from economic bankruptcy but also moral
bankruptcy, disappointingly being shown by our leaders.”
He went
on: “What was the purpose of the cash gifts? Where did
they come from? Who was the personal source of the
cash? Were they for local government projects? Were
they for the forthcoming Barangay Elections? Why were
they distributed only to proadministration local
officials? Why not also to the opposition? Who
ultimately will profit from these cash gifts? Are they
really gifts or bribes?”
He said
“bribery is not an acceptable word even to culprits. .
.And so, in order to feel good and escape the blame of
conscience, bribe is also called a ‘gift,’” added
Lagdameo as he cited the Compendium of the Social
Doctrine of the Church No. 198 that reads:
“The
more people and social groups strive to resolve social
problems according to the truth, the more they distance
themselves from abuses and act in accordance with the
objective demands of truth. . .The unscrupulous use of
money raises ever more pressing questions, which
necessarily call for greater transparency and honesty in
personal and social activity.”
He said,
“We are very much concerned with our youth who are
looking at our leaders for models in honesty, integrity
and transparency.”
At the
House, Party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo of Bayan Muna said,
“Mrs. Arroyo is paying the price of political survival
at the expense of taxpayers’ money.”
He
appeared to agree with Mayor Binay, the UNO leader. “The
plot thickens,” said Ocampo adding, “The filing of the
sham impeachment complaint at the House of
Representatives coupled with Malacañang’s bribery-spree
is not simply designed for Mrs. Arroyo’s survival until
2010 but beyond [she] is literally buying her way beyond
2010, again onboard her Cha-cha train.”
While
the Palace avoided any direct comment on the alleged
bribery, Environment Secretary Jose Atienza said it is
“normal” for the national government to help local
governments, and added that when he was Manila mayor, he
“occasionally” received help for his projects “from the
national government and the national leadership.”
“That is
help for the barangays, for your projects,” Atienza
said, adding the funds were drawn out of the President’s
discretionary fund.
Asked
whether President Arroyo could have drawn the alleged
“pay-off” from her discretionary fund, Budget Secretary
Rolando Andaya Jr. said, “I don’t think she will do
that. I don’t think she can.” |
