Months have passed since the first revelations of what historians would probably call the “scandal of the decade:” the billions of pesos supposedly allocated to flood-control that, instead, went into the pockets of greedy politicians and contractors.
Much has been said and done, the public still waits in vain for accountability and justice in the looting of their hard-earned tax monies – but what is interesting, particularly here in Laguna province, is who is keeping silent.
Local executives in the province have, for the most part, tried to stay out of the burning issue that has inflamed the anger and frustration of a public that is already reeling from natural calamities.
People have repeatedly asked our mayors, our vice mayors, our councilors, our barangay officials – what is their stand on the flood-control mess?
And yet, except for a handful, the reply has been silence.
Except for the pledges of many of our local executives, who joined a national group calling for accountability and transparency in governance, we have yet to hear from them the answers to two key questions: how much do they know about the supposed ghost flood-control projects, and what do they plan to do about it?
And what an unfortunate reply to the people who bear the burden of millions of pesos lost through legal chicanery, the burden of broken and unfulfilled promises of relief from flooding, the burden of the billions in lost livelihoods and economic opportunities that were wasted by greed, perfidy and inaction.
Silence only feeds the flames of suspicion that local officials all the way to the barangay level have been, in some way or another, complicit in this wanton robbery of public funds.
We call on our public officials: Speak up now, while the public is still willing to listen, or else you may be consumed by the flames of collective rage.
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #OpinYonNews #Editorial