A saying has it that it takes just one rotten apple to ruin the whole fruit basket.
That's exactly what we may be seeing now in the latest string of revelations on the massive corruption at the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Recent admissions by former DPWH officials in Bulacan that it isn't just flood-control projects but also nearly every piece of infrastructure spearheaded by the agency has been tainted with corruption has had alarm bells ringing among concerned citizens. And with good reason.
This meant that every public edifice – school buildings, town and city halls, public markets, roads, even barangay halls and covered courts – may have suffered from substandard construction.
The inordinate amount it takes to build such massive infrastructures, as evidenced by the nine-year gap between the groundbreaking and the completion of the San Pedro SLEX northbound exit, could also be a symptom of how the "kickback" system has affected the duration of construction of big-ticket infrastructure programs. Maybe even the quality?
The awful truth is that massive corruption inside our government has turned public structures that are supposed to ensure the safety of our citizens into ticking time bombs.
Look at what happened in Visayas last week, in the wake of the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck there.
Public markets, city halls, covered courts – all have crumbled into death traps due to the insatiable greed of our public officials.
Here in Laguna, are we going to wait for the dreaded “Big One” to strike before we finally stand up and demand justice and accountability?
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