Pangan: After the fall

IT WAS good while the money supply lasted. After the fall, it was, and is still is, a flow down the drain.

Now, now, it took the revelations on alleged fraud committed against Pag-Ibig funds to move the government to make extensive reviews on its housing programs, including the subsidized ones.

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It is now Vice President Jejomar Binay's turn to whip the lash on erring firms and people and come up clean off the dirty game of false and fraudulent misrepresentations reportedly committed, in confabulation and collusion probably by officials and employees (including fixers) of the Home Development Mutual Fund and Globe Asiatique Realty Holdings Corporation.

The inquiry should not stop on current players, rather, it should zero in on even on former Vice President Noli de Castro, his henchmen and on all fingers which dipped into the rich Pag-ibig coffers, resulting to a gargantuan scam of billions of pesos of Pag-Ibig members' contributions.

There should be no whitewash in the investigation and all those found negligent and actively involved in the scam, be they government functionaries or private individuals, should be promptly charged in court.

Neither should former VP de Castro wash his hands on the controversies as it was during his watch that Globe Asiatique reportedly amassed huge profits as a result of the lax procedures observed (and bent) in the documentation and processing of loan applications for the housing units at Xevera Bacolor and Mabalacat.

Hey, what is this I heard that even the realty firm's transactions in Metro Manila may have been tainted with some irregularities? Just asking. Now I can understand why Philippine Daily Inquirer columnist Randy David once wondered why Mr. Delfin Lee was kuno buddy-buddy with some top officials of Pag-ibig Fund. Again, I am just asking, with malice toward none.

The former VP's reason for not following through the investigation on Globe Asiatique was that he was too busy with the poll campaign. Well, well...should he be spared from prosecution, Mr. VP Binay?

Anyway, the current Vice President has reportedly ordered an inventory of all housing loan contracts undertaken by the government. Is this a case of too late the hero, Mr. Vice President? It's about time, Atty. Binay, to clean the Aegean stables of corrupt housing officials and their cohorts in the private sector. You may get shocked on the results of the so-called inventory efforts, so please pace and brace yourself for the shocking reports.

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Governor Lilia Pineda is one silent but effective performer. This was intimated to me by Bical Punong Barangay and concurrent Mabalacat Association of Barangay Councils President Rogelio Quizon Yumul. Kap Jeng narrated that Guv Lilia acts on requests for medical assistance promptly sans fanfare, as contrasted with her predecessor who had to refer matters of urgency through a gauntlet of advisers.

No wonder the good nanay Governor has endeared herself to the people of Pampanga, including her erstwhile detractors and opponents who, by the way, have been impressed by her no nonsense style of governance and have since moved to her camp, ha ha.

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Getting up close and personal. I would not fault colleague Malou Gueco for jumping the gun on me as I thought of using for this column's title the word September.

This month, I must confess, has many important dates bearing on my life: I was born September 21st, got hitched September 24 twenty years after and saw the birth of my children on different dates in September: 8, 9, 10 and 12. See, the dates can even be some clue to lotto bettors.

September, my September, gets closer to my heart every day.