Thursday, October 04, 2007 Espinoza: Abalos’ face-saving move By Elias L. Espinoza Free Zone
IN developed countries like the United States, United Kingdom and Japan, public officials, whether elected or appointed, have high sense of delicadeza.
They value their name and reputation above material things.
In our country, our so-called public servants (except for the few conscientious and honest ones) value money more than their reputation and their work, hence, corruption is so prevalent it has become ordinary.
Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos must have resigned with a heavy heart last Monday. He was accused of brokering the National Broadband Network (NBN)-ZTE deal. He probably could no longer stand the pressure from the public and his family.
The resignation may have been late but it was never too late. It was a tactical move to make the impeachment complaint filed against him in Congress moot and academic. But it won’t affect any criminal case that will be filed against him.
Abalos’ move is something other government officials who are similarly situated should consider. They can silently quit their jobs before their situation gets worse.
Of course, the resignation should not be misunderstood as an admission of guilt otherwise Abalos’ denial of former Neda director general Romulo Neri’s accusation of bribery would ricochet on him.
I learned in my elementary days that “honesty is the best policy.” Money, as another saying goes, is the root of all evil. The core of the issue in this billion-peso broadband deal is not about public service but who got the huge kickback.
Abalos was even brazen to tell Senate probers that Neri lied when he said that he (Abalos) offered him P200 million to recommend the approval of the broadband deal with ZTE. I wonder if he would eat back his words now that he has resigned.
Neri, as then Neda chief, was involved in the broadband project study. He may be honest but he appears to be protecting his job and the people above him when he told the Senate committee looking into the issue what he knew.
This latest fiasco involving billions of pesos has helped place our country fifth in the list of top ten corrupt nations. What a shame! While majority of our brethren are homeless and hungry, so-called public officials are fighting over fat commissions.
Abalos’ resignation was a face-saving move. Of course, it would also be better if Neri does the same. Although he allegedly did not accept the P200 million bribe offer, he is equally guilty for tolerating the raid on government’s bleeding coffers.
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Instead of answering squarely the valid issues businessman Efrain Pelaez hurled at Lapu-Lapu City officials, spin doctors of Mayor Arturo Radaza launched an attack on Pelaez.
The latest twist in the conflict is the support given by barangay captains of Lapu-Lapu to their mayor. I hope these barangay captains were not the same ones who went with Radaza on a junket to Hong Kong recently.
While I respect their position, it looks like these barangay captains were so blinded by their “loyalty” to the mayor that they missed the basic issues against the City Government.
The barangay captains made it appear that Pelaez has something personal against Radaza. They even vowed to hold rallies against the businessman. What a myopic approach to the matter.
The issues that Pelaez, president of the Mactan Island Chamber of Commerce and Industry, raised against some city officials are things that should not only concern him or the businessmen but also the barangay captains since these involve taxpayers’ money.
