CITIZENS ARE STARTING to lose hope that something concrete will come out of ongoing probes into corruption in flood control project scandals at the rate the Senate and the ill-funded Independent Commission on Infrastructure are proceeding.
Even the business community — though some groups are offering their services and financial support to ICI– has expressed skepticism about ICI’s viability to look into massive corruption, stating that ICI probes may be doomed from the start.
Netizens have openly voiced their disbelief that a big fish– particularly erring lawmakers– out there could be convicted and land in jail considering that even with the conviction of three legislators during the 2013 PDAF (or the Priority Development Assistance Fund) only led to their acquittal and being voted again as senators.
Even a legislative proposal embarking on reverting the death penalty for corrupt officials — authored by another dubious legislator — seemed no more than just a balm to assuage a suffering and hurting populace. They say it is just “pambalubag loob,” which would never happen in an oligarchic and dynastic Philippine society.
DOOMED FROM START
The business community sees the ICI probes as doomed from the start because of its “nebulous goals, funding, manpower and legal authority to mete punishment on those it is supposed to investigate,” a view shared generally by the netizens.
No less than Palace spokesperson Usec. Claire Castro had previously admitted that the ICI is just a fact-finding body that is not supposed to mete punishment on any person who does not attend the hearings of the commission.
Even Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, who has been working himself to the bone uncovering flood control mess one after the other is being overwhelmed. The President, in a recent interview, expressed disappointment and immense anger after seeing the devastation caused by corruption in the nauseous flood control projects anomalies.
Some in the business sector have pointed to the logistical nightmare of hiring clerical staff, investigators, lawyers and competent assessors to help collect, check, verify documents and records, and then to compile and safeguard all testimonies, documents and paperwork submitted and gathered by the commission on the numerous flood projects that involves several government agencies.
The investigation, they said, could very well cover at least 10 years, and would therefore take even more time to validate and check.
FUNDS FOR THE ICI
Al Panlilio, president of the Management Association of the Philippines, recently offered funding support to ICI in its probe particularly for equipment necessary to carry out its function.
This is because “Babes Singson (the corruption-free past Secretary of DPWH) is also part of MAP. We told him how we can help in what they’re trying to do,” Panlilio said. “ICI only has volunteer lawyers. It has no computers, scanners, or printers. So, these are the things we’re looking into,” he added.
Singson is a member of the three-man ICI. He is also a MAP member.
Panlilio said the MAP will ensure that its proposed assistance to ICI’s operations is within the bounds of the law. He said the support of 34 business groups is a follow-up to the private sector’s call to Marcos to strengthen ICI. They earlier proposed to the President to empower the ICI with full legal authority and independence to conduct a swift and comprehensive investigation into corruption in the public works sector.
Currently, ICI is only authorized to conduct hearings, take testimony, and recommend the filing of appropriate criminal, civil, and administrative cases against those responsible.
NEED FOR BLOCKCHAIN
Panlilio said the MAP supports Senator Bam Aquino’s call for the government to adopt blockchain technology to make transactions in the government more transparent.
“Through blockchain, one would be able to identify if something is not right and it gives us an opportunity to start keeping track of all of this.”
The DPWH is expected to be the first agency that will have its budget under a blockchain technology to enable greater scrutiny for the public, with more agencies expected to follow suit. Next are the bureaus of internal revenue and customs.
Sen. Aquino said he is set to sponsor the proposed Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act tomorrow, Nov. 12, to institutionalize the push. If enacted, the measure would mandate all government transaction documents involving public funds to be publicly disclosed online.
“There’s no valid reason for them to keep that secret. There’s no valid reason to hide the documents of where the money of the people will go,” said Aquino.
There is likewise no set timetable for the ICI to complete its work, leaving suspicion and causing frustration that the whole exercise is just a ploy to string the public along until the people get tired and bored, and decide to move on to the next political brouhaha.