Our country is poor because of corruption

Now, and no other time that many people are suspicious of their elected public officials and including those in civil service that somehow their pockets are stuffed with stolen money. It is the fruit of corruption. Look how that congressman from Negros Oriental became so rich and developed an ego as big as the island. I have heard how a congressman from Pampanga bought a lot of pricey properties in the Korean town section of Angeles city. Another congressman reportedly is constructing a house in a gated subdivision in Quezon City worth a billion pesos. There are so many stories how supposed public servants helped themselves and greed became the mantra.

The herein below people whom I have known personally were the ideal government officials. Take for example the late Rafael L. Lazatin aka Apung Feleng who served as governor, mayor and assemblyman. He faithfully served and was never involved in any wrongdoing. He didn’t take advantage of his positions. He led a simple life despite he was born to riches. If only our current public officials are like Apung Feleng, I am sure our country will not be left behind by its Asian neighbors. We are poor because many government leaders are rich.

My ideal and ideas are beautiful but they remain dreams until today. I have been a media person three fourths of my life. I love have met all sorts of people. As it is being said, ‘it takes all sorts to make up this world’. I have seen it all. There are few outstanding officials in government I can safely say I respect and have high regards. When I say few, it means I don’t have to remove my shoes to proceed in counting after my fingers are done. I am not talking here not only about politicians who are mostly corrupt but government people who once upon a time were department secretaries, underlings and agency heads.

Here they are, repeating what I already wrote about them. For a start, I can list in my book our cabalen, Jose ‘Ping’ De Jesus who held positions like Education undersecretary, cabinet secretary, Department of Public Works and Highways secretary, Department of Transportation and Communication secretary and last was chairman of the Clark Development Corporation. He came out clean. No stain.

John Grisham should write about a book Estelito Mendoza. He is a super lawyer. His many court appearances may bring a suspenseful story. He is what you may want to call as a lawyers’ lawyer. He was in the Marcos cabinet as solicitor general and then secretary of justice. There was never an instance that he abused his powerful positions. His clients maybe run afoul against the law, but the attorney’s oath is to provide representation. He was Pampanga governor for some good years, and never he pocketed a single centavo from the abundant quarry proceeds, unlike someone you and I know.

Blas F. Ople was one of kind. He entered government a poor man and died describe-ably a pauper even after 40 years in government. His house in Quezon City was built out of borrowed funds from the Government Service Insurance System. When he died he wasn’t able to complete his amortization. It was saved from being foreclosed because President Joseph Estrada paid the balance. Ka Blas was labor secretary for the longest time during the Marcos administration. It was he who initiated the opening of the labor market in the Middle East. Recruitment agencies mushroomed and made bundles of money from service fees. He was elected assemblyman in a regional elections for the interim Batasan Pambansa. Elected senator and became senate president. He died while in a foreign mission as foreign affairs secretary. Try to look around, right, left, front and back. Do you know any senator or senators who were as poor as Ka Blas when entered public service and now are billionaires?