Thursday, April 24, 2008 Wenceslao: Doing a Lozada By Bong O. Wenceslao Candid Thoughts
I DO not blame people for the feeling of ambivalence relative to the order of Ombudsman Maria Merceditas Gutierrez re: the obviously anomalous purchase of decorative lampposts for last-year's Asean Summit that Cebu hosted. While graft charges and dismissals have been pushed for some officials, the so-called big fries won't fry.
Considering the lynching mood of some sectors, those hit---some former and some current officials of Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu and the Department of Public Works and Highways, plus the lamppost suppliers---will have to brace for the worst. The public indignation is righteous considering the government money lost and the brazenness of the act.
Admittedly, though, what is legal may not be moral. Consider: Aside from the exclusion of the big fishes, the Ombudsman resolution could not also distinguish who actually pocketed the money or not and who got the bigger or lesser share of the windfall, if ever. Hopefully, we can get a better picture of the anomaly once Sandiganbayan hearing starts.
But I mentioned that for fairness sake. If possible, we should condemn only the sinner and spare the clueless and from among the sinners distinguish the leaders from the role players especially because some 20 people were indicted. We expect the Sandiganbayan to eventually be able to assess fairly the levels of guilt of the accused. Or shouldn't we?
Unfortunately, our judicial system may not be able to provide the fairness demanded. The clueless and the role players, for example, may not be able to mount a legal defense better than those who earned millions of pesos from the transaction. Reminds me of the oft-used analogy: a spider's web. It can catch small flies but not carabaos.
But here's an option that I would recommend for the less guilty and the clueless: do a Rodolofo Lozada Jr. Or to be precise, a Lozada with honest intentions. If the clueless and the role players turn state witness, they will not only be dropped from the ranks of the accused but will also be praised for helping prosecute the really guilty.
Then again, that may be asking too much.
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Here's a text mesasage from Nonoy Mongaya of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in reaction to my column yesterday: “I share your Candid Thoughts. Some of your colleagues may have simply forgotten objectivity while tackling the controversial Operating Room fiasco.”
