Wednesday, April 18, 2007 Malilong: Guanzon and the balm of clear conscience By Frank Malilong The Other Side
I AM not surprised by Architect Manuel Guanzon’s sharp reaction to the claim made by Crisologo Saavedra that the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) is overpriced.
One who thinks he has done a good job may not mind getting any applause but he will resent a brickbat that is undeserved.
Saavedra, who gained prominence because of his expose of the lampposts deal in Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu City, has obviously taken a liking for the “whistleblower” tag and has targeted the CICC to maintain his reputation as crusader against graft and corruption.
He could have simply asked for an accounting instead of complaining to the Ombudsman and insinuating that someone made money from the construction of the edifice because based on his own estimates the CICC ought to have cost lesser.
But civility is a personal choice and the headlines cannot wait. Law and good manners are worlds apart, making it possible to accuse now, based solely on what you think, and be proven wrong later without having to worry about the legal consequences.
The Constitution and the law simply tell us what a citizen can do. They do not say that we do it politely.
Never mind the Civil Code that says that everyone must, in the performance of his duties and the exercise of his rights, give everyone his due and observe honesty and good faith. That principle is as good as dead in cases involving public money or office, being anathema to the attributes of vigilance and assertiveness that are so essential in a democracy.
I can understand the frustration of Maning and that of Gov. Gwen Garcia, whose single-minded determination paved the way for the CICC’s coming into being. But let the questions be asked. Saavedra, or anyone for that matter, has a right to do so.
The balm of a clear conscience, to paraphrase a Supreme Court ruling, can soothe the pain and frustration of an unjust accusation. Maning should welcome the Ombudsman investigation as an opportunity to prove Saavedra and all the doubting Thomases wrong.
He doesn’t even have to say further than what the numbers speak. Saavedra asserts that the CICC’s construction cost couldn’t be higher than P17,000 per square meter. If the numbers show otherwise, it could only mean that the whistleblower is a liar or an incompetent fool. That should be enough vindication for the CICC’s architect.
In the meantime, watch your heart, Maning. There is no sense in taxing it over something that you could very well defend anywhere.
***
No matter how you look at it, the senatorial race is nothing more than an extension of the political battle between President Arroyo and her predecessor, the deposed president, Erap Estrada.
The opposition candidates were personally chosen by Estrada while the composition of the administration ticket had the blessings of Arroyo. It therefore all boils down to whom between the two leaders the people love more or hate less.
In Metro Manila and in Luzon, for example, where Erap’s influence is strongest, GO candidates will do everything to capitalize on his endorsement. In the Visayas and most parts of Mindanao, however, his support could amount to a kiss of death and the GO candidates will try to distance themselves from the ousted president.
