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Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Nalzaro: Shabu lab contacts
By Bobby Nalzaro
If a relative or friend tells you that you won a lotto or a sweepstakes draw or that one of your relatives had an accident, don't immediately believe him. He could be joking. Remember that today is Innocents Day or Niños Innocentes.
According to the Bible, it was on this day three days after Jesus Christ was born that King Herod ordered the massacre of infants after he was informed that the man who will dethrone him had just been born. However, baby Jesus and his parents were already outside Herod's kingdom when the infants were slaughtered.
Anyway, some people greet this day with pranks. Busa ayaw mo pailad.
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Bando Mandaue-Anak Bisaya, a group composed of former officials and concerned residents of Mandaue City, challenged members of the House committee on dangerous drugs to disclose the results of its investigation into the operation of the mega shabu laboratory in Barangay Umapad and reveal the names of the local contacts of its financier, Calvin de Jesus Tan. Authorities busted the shabu lab more than a year ago.
In a letter to Rep. Roque Ablan, chairman of the House committee, and Reps. Tony Cuenco and Nerissa Soon Ruiz, Bando Mandaue, which is headed by former Mandaue City councilor Magno Dionson, reminded the three lawmakers of their promise to disclose to the public the results of the congressional probe.
This is to avoid suspicions that an influential political figure in Mandaue is blocking the disclosure of the report.
A portion of the letter, a copy of which I obtained, stated:
“(Ablan) announced that some elected and appointed public officials were involved in the establishment of the said drug laboratory. There was an assurance from him to the public that in due time he will announce the names of the officials involved.
The public has been anxiously waiting for the announcement; unfortunately, none came. There were speculations that the names of the said public officials would be announced upon the return of (Tan) to the Philippines. Tan is now back and detained at the provincial jail but still no announcement took place.”
Well, what else is new?
I said this before and I will say it again: I have some reservations about congressional investigations. While it is the constitutional mandate of Congress to conduct investigations in aid of legislation, it cannot be denied that some lawmakers use these for grandstanding and thus no concrete results are given to the public.
We have been witnesses to these investigations. They are only good at the beginning. They are a total waste of taxpayers' money.
I therefore doubt if members of the House committee on dangerous drugs have the balls to reveal the identity of Tan's local contacts, especially if they are influential people.
(bgnalzaro@gmanetwork.com)
(December 28, 2005 issue)
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