Monday, March 17, 2008 Seares: 'Thou shalt not steal' By Pachico A. Seares News Sense
GAUDENCIO Cardinal Rosales, Manila archbishop, in a pastoral letter issued last Friday, makes it clear that it is still stealing even if the public official gets the money from a contractor or supplier or anyone else.
Former president and convicted plunderer Joseph Estrada claims he didn’t steal anything from the government. The money involved was “jueteng” money, not government money.
Thou shalt not steal, says one of the Ten Commandments, the seventh or eighth commandment. (Cardinal Rosales says it is the seventh while in Exodus 20:15, quoted in “The Bible” by Miner and Rawson, it is the eighth, tucked in between the command not to commit adultery and the command not to bear false witness against a neighbor.)
In fact, Cardinal Rosales says, commandment against stealing covers all deals in government, whatever the source of the money that goes to the pocket of the official or employee. Out the window goes Erap’s defense.
Probity
The current “political and social mess” created by the scandal from the ZTE national broadband network contract is more than stealing, Cardinal Rosales says.
He calls for probity, which he says requires the integrity of all, the accuser and the accused.
But does the lack of integrity of accuser make the stealing by accused less offensive or evil?
The cardinal doesn’t say as he talks of “correcting” and “purifying” the nation. Lozada cannot be holier than the persons he charges with having received kickbacks.
The truth then, as Cardinal Rosales sees it, is not just nailing the culprits. It is also exposing the integrity, or lack of integrity, of accusers like Lozada.
