Friday, September 21, 2007 Roperos: Graft cases galore By Godofredo M. Roperos Politics Also
YESTERDAY afternoon, right after I arrived from the city, a close friend from the town came to me and told me a tale of woe. It was related to the headline story of this daily about the Land Transportation Office (LTO) scam.
My compadre, a parish leader and who owns a well-patronized drugstore in Balamban, said that a few months ago he tried to register a vehicle owned by the Carmelite sisters. A priest friend, Nestor Atillo, had sought his help to register the vehicle in Toledo City.
Trying to be of help to Father Atillo and the sisters, he acceded. Surprisingly, however, after all the fees were paid and the supporting papers accomplished and submitted, he was made to go back to the Toledo City LTO office until his visit to me yesterday.
To his dismay, my compadre William said the registration papers were not forthcoming. He was worried that the Carmelite sisters might suspect him of committing shenanigans. Then he read the story about the LTO scam and was alarmed, suspecting that he could be one of its victims.
Thus he visited me, hoping I could help him. I told him that the most I could do was write about it in a column. But, no kidding now, our dailies have lately been coming out with stories about malfeasances in public office these have become quite boring, and gravely worrisome. It looks like public officials that one can trust and rely on are getting fewer everyday.
Yesterday, Sun.Star, headlined the story about the graft complaint filed against Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza and 19 other city officials in connection with the P23 million purchase of personal computers for use in public high schools. The accuser is a private foundation, the Coral Point, represented by Efrain Pelaez.
Pelaez claimed Radaza facilitated the allegedly anomalous transaction. In the process, some P17 million reportedly changed pockets. He noted that the supporting papers for the purchase were accomplished almost in one day. A month later, in March 2005, the bid committee published its invitation to bid. The transaction was already a fait accompli.
The LTO case, meanwhile, was allegedly a one-woman job. The cashier, I seems, disappeared with LTO funds. Of course, the top story in national dailies is the allegedly overpriced $329-million National Broadband Network deal.
How are we to contain these shenanigans in public office when the very officials our government placed there are the very ones committing it? Lord, please help!
