Home OpinionROUGH CUTS | Lucky Davao City’s way of thanking

ROUGH CUTS | Lucky Davao City’s way of thanking

by Vic Sumalinog
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FORMER Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has filed a plunder case with the Ombudsman against former President Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Bong Go, and the latter’s father and brother of CLTG Construction firm.

Trillanes could have fully convinced himself that the former President, his man Friday senator Go, and his family amassed over P50 million from the various transactions entered into by the Go firm with the government during Duterte’s term as president.

It is our take that this case could be an acid test of newly installed Ombudsman Crispin “Boying” Remulla. No, not whether he will make a serious probe into the charge but on whether or not he will conduct his prosecution in the fairest of manner.

It is only by being fair can he prove that his appointment as Ombudsman is not intended to make him a weapon of destruction for the political enemies of the appointing authority.

Indeed, this Trillanes charge of plunder is worth the citizens’ wait.

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We could not help but appreciate with all sincerity the generosity of the local government of Davao City. Through its officials, from the mayor to the members of the city council, the LGU of Davao City was quick to donate financial assistance to the Province of Cebu, the City of Bogo, and nine other nearby municipalities.

The cash assistance, we have no doubt, can very well help the local governments get their feet back after the devastating 6.9 magnitude earthquake leveled houses and private infrastructures in their areas.

Indeed, it is the right thing to do especially for a city that has been lucky enough to escape devastating calamities in the past and until now. And, if at all certain disasters hit Davao City, so far it is the milder version of say, earthquakes, floods, and landslides.

The latest earthquake that brought destruction to many residential, office, and school buildings in Manay, Tarragona, Caraga and slightly in Mati City, Davao Oriental did not do serious damage to buildings and other structures in the City of Davao.

Of course, the 6.2 magnitude earthquake in Davao City resulted to the disruption of some business operations and week-long stoppage of classes, for the authorities to check the integrity of buildings.

But so far, Davao City seems to have all the luck on its side. And hopefully, this luck will continue to be enjoyed by the Davaoeños for the longest time still.

Therefore, it is just normal to show gratitude to the One up there by helping those unlucky local governments cope with the misfortune.

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Thousands upon thousands of activists, political oppositionists, labor, businessmen, retired military and police officials, churchmen, and students are doing protest rallies in the past few weeks. The protesters were all demanding a stop to corruption, accountability of those tasked to implement government projects, and fast prosecution of those involved in the heist of government money.

Frankly, we believe that it is easier said (shouted if you want) than done. No, we do not think that what the protesters want cannot really be done.

The thing is, the system in the government we have now is the one making it much more difficult to do what the protesters wanted. Our government’s judicial system, as guaranteed by our Constitution, allows everyone accused of wrongdoing to use every available legal means to prove his or her innocence.

Add the lawyers who strongly adhered to the dictum that a suspect remains innocent until proven guilty by a competent court, and trial of cases becomes an endless battle of mastery in law. In fact, even those who are clearly most guilty can even apply, still under a particular law, to become state protected witness.

Then there are the moneyed accused of certain crimes who, in cooperation with their astute lawyers use every available law that they could invoke just to delay the prosecution of the charges against them. Many thanks to their money of course.

How then will the government and its current leaders comply with the shouted demands for accountability and faster litigation of corruption cases against certain individuals both in government and in the private sector?

And we Filipinos dread so much of even just a thought of having a martial law regime that could be resorted to if only to hasten prosecution of the corrupt in this nation.

What an irony for our country, the people of which so love the various freedoms they are enjoying as guaranteed by the fundamental law, including the freedom to invoke every available law to prove the accused’s innocence of the crime or crimes charge.

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