Thursday, June 07, 2007 Seares: Guarding Saavedra By Pachico A. Seares News Sense
CRISOLOGO Saavedra, unlike other whistleblowers who are coy about the title, loves to call himself one.
That, of course, doesn't reflect on the quality of his charges. Of three complaints he filed---on alleged overpricing of spy cameras, decorative lamps, and CICC, all used during the Asean summit---Cris appears to be hitting the mark on two of three so far.
His love for the whistleblower tag hints of motive other than sourgraping after he was bumped off the spy camera contract.
Lately, he has been talking of love for public good and concern for taxpayers' money, which he must have valued less when he was the one getting plum contracts and raking in windfall.
But having a whistleblower who adores basking in limelight is not stiff price to pay.
After all, there are serious risks in squealing. Some stigma attaches and serious danger to life and limb lurks.
The public whose interest the whistleblower serves owes him his personal safety. Though he is just a complainant, not provider of hard evidence and not a vital witness, Cris deserves to be kept away from harm.
M16 protection
Nothing wrong with giving Cris an M16-armed police escort. Some government officials don't warrant even a bodyguard with a slingshot.
There may be people who might try to take out Cris. With or without that, however, there's something else he must guard himself against: making accusations he still isn't sure about or can't prove yet.
The debate on Asean summit spending can go on without calling respondents thieves and swindlers. Even whistleblowers have no license to murder people's reputation.
