TRIAD is a word that denotes brotherhood of drug lords, of criminal rings. Incidentally, a triad in the senate has emerged. No, this is not the infamous Chinese triad. This is a corruption triad starred by Bong Revilla, Jinggoy Estrada, and the brainy, not necessarily the director, Johnny Enrile.
Gangsters never use real names. So we better call these senators by their aliases: Pogi, Sexy, and Tanda. Pardon the informality, but the scale of corruption does not deserve them to be called by their real names, much more with the prefix, senators. They use aliases to hide their undoing, so we grant them that privilege. They want secrecy in their criminal acts.
But worms do not forever hide in the dark. The searing light will eventually expose them.
Pogi, Sexy, and Tanda cannot forever evade the light of truth and the law. By now, these aliases are in every household. Their infamy cannot be forever escape public scrutiny.
Corruption has been a scourge that back pedals our country, instead of surging forward. The national coffers are raided by no less than our public officials. Instead of farm to market roads, public funds are virtually stolen to build mansions of these public officials.
All efforts at national development are put to naught if we will not jail these corrupt officials.
Exposed to corruption since Ferdinand Marcos ruled our country, we have been immune to corruption. We just shrug our shoulders when we hear of public officials who are tagged with stealing our national treasury. We were in the brink of conceding that corruption is something cultural, and therefore always a part of the political landscape.
But when something so grand does occur, it shocks our senses, and suddenly, we are awaken from our lethargy. Suddenly, we howl in protest and declare that corruption is never acceptable to our national life.
Pogi, Sexy, and Tanda committed corruption in a grand scale, a systematic plunder of our treasury. The national psyche has been awake to the abomination that is corruption. The scandal that the triad has done is like a tree that suddenly fell on our heads while we are asleep that we have no option but to arise and curse.
The systematic plunder keeps the nation in shock. The paper works have been perfected that if not for the whistle blower Benhur Luy, the triad would still by now grinning ear to ear on their way to the bank.
But to borrow the lingo of the philosophers, imperfection of human nature can never be perfected. Otherwise, you admit of two contradictions. Greed cannot be perfected. Corruption is a flaw in our national life that no matter how brilliant the ways of stealing the public funds are, there can never be perfected corruption.
The evils that Pogi, Sexy, and Tanda committed have been exposed in the searing light of truth. No one should be above the law. Impunity cannot go on forever.
Unfortunately, the worms will always be worms. Sexy has the gall to demand for a cable tv in his prison cell. Pogi wants the cozy house arrest. Tanda has done the motions of preventing his arrest. After violating the law wantonly, they now want its protective mantle.
While we grant them the use of aliases, we should not grant them their calls for more privileges. That would make us suckers like them.
Corruption is one singular issue that beset our country since Ferdinand Marcos assumed power. It has been a pest in our national pillars.
The trial of the triad must follow the law. There should be no holy cows. The triad are all senators. But when they commit crimes, they descend to the level of the common criminals and should be treated as such.
Pogi, Sexy, and Tanda have committed crimes worse than the robbers that stalk in the night. Why should then be treated better than the robbers?
The 10-day period for the Sandiganbayan to issue the warrant of arrest has expired. The rules must be followed. The warrant must now issue without further delay; unless, of course, the triad has not only infested the senate but the judiciary as well.