Saturday, September 29, 2007 Carvajal: The big difference By Orlando P. Carvajal Break Point
SEN. Miriam Santiago could be right when she ranted “you are just fighting over your kickbacks” at the Senate hearing on the ZTE deal. She appears to be on solid ground because she has not backtracked on this one whereas she has apologized for another remark (that the Chinese invented corruption) which was definitely way out of line.
In any case, signs abound to show that the ZTE issue is really a fight over kickbacks. One, the protagonists are just trading accusations and denials with nobody coming up with hard evidence or filing a case in court. Two, it is being investigated by the Senate that is obviously not trying to get to the truth with its uncouth methods. Finally, by taking refuge in executive privilege, former Neda chief Romulo Neri has doomed the search for truth.
Senator Santiago is, therefore, most probably right. If so the ZTE controversy will not be settled in favor of the Filipino people who will lose millions from kickbacks. The Senate cannot and will not get to the bottom of the controversy but will simply use the investigation to grandstand and get some re-election campaign mileage. The issue will be resolved with a win-win solution for the protagonists, all members of the warring ruling elite. The only loser will be the Filipino masses who are silent on the issue.
Meanwhile, back in Lapu-Lapu City, Mayor Arturo Radaza, like the protagonists in the ZTE controversy, continues to evade the corruption issue by throwing aspersions on the character of his accuser, Efrain Pelaez Jr. Unfortunately for him, however, the Lapa-Lapu case is not a fight over kickbacks. From the very start it has always been a fight for good governance initiated by the Mactan Island Chamber of Commerce and Industry, of which Mr. Pelaez is president. The group has decided that enough is enough of the mismanagement and corruption in the administration of Mayor Radaza.
A groundswell of support for Pelaez is evident with Dilaab, the Cebu Business Club and other groups deciding to be “silent no more.” Since this is not a fight over kickbacks, the plunder case against Mayor Radaza will not go the way of the national issue, unresolved and forgotten once the protagonists have settled the manner of sharing the kickbacks. In Cebu province, decent folks are demanding transparency from the Lapu-Lapu City Government, a demand that they have decided to pursue to the bitter end in court.
The big difference is the people being silent no more. The political leaders of this country are part of the problem but do not seem to want to be part of the solution. The supporters of Mr. Pelaez acknowledge having been part of the problem (by their silence) but have decided to be part of the solution by being “silent no more.”
