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Blame the people!

MR. EXPOSE

Amb. Ernesto Maceda

07/12/2007

Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. and Malacañang officials have now one thing in common. When criticized for their failures and errors, they blame the citizens, blame everybody but themselves for the pathetic state of affairs.

Abalos, in response to the consistent demand for his removal or resignation, declared that the moral degeneration of the citizens, not the Comelec, should be blamed for election malpractices and irregularities.

He says it is the voters who buy and sell votes. True, but aren’t the Comelec personnel the ones at the head of such practices which have led to big-time dagdag-bawas operations going now to as high as P1,000 per vote? It’s Abalos’ job to discipline and stop his personnel. It is Abalos’ job to prevent the vote-buying.

When excess ballots, election returns, statements of votes and certificates of canvass forms are printed and sold to candidates, you cannot blame the public for that. That’s a purely internal operation of Comelec which definitely is a Comelec responsibility.

Abalos’ latest alibi takes the cake for being the most stupid remark ever made by a public officials.

Aba, aba, he’s really lost!

Red-faced. Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez suffered another humiliating rebuff with the Supreme Court and the Makati City Regional Trial Court finally dismissing the rebellion charges against Rep. Crispin Beltran who was released Tuesday night.

The decision was based on a comedy of errors committed by Department of Justice (DoJ) prosecutors including holding an inquest for the wrong crime, defective affidavits which did not allege any specific acts of rebellion and non-compliance with the rules governing preliminary investigations.

Clearly, the charges were hurriedly trumped-up. Clearly, the prosecutors handling the case were totally incompetent. That’s the kind of a DoJ we have under GMA. Nakakahiya... Nakakasuka.

More scams. The latest pyramiding scam by FrancSwiss once again shows that our securities and financial regulators led by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have failed to protect the investing public. Also significant is that none of the several pyramid operators previously discovered and charged has been convicted.

If the likes of a Chairman Abalos headed the SEC, he will say: Don’t blame us, blame the investors for buying.

Once again, it is reported that some military and police officers are involved with FrancSwiss. Sad.

Also reported is the sad plight of OFWs who have bought real estate lots on installment and, after fully paying the purchase price, cannot get their certificates of title because the selling companies have no titles or have mortgaged the land.

Complaints have also come to the face of TV quiz shows not paying or delaying for months the payment of prizes promised.

Under GMA, so many, many people have been duped or robbed by criminals. The poor citizen has to look out for himself.

More AFP red faces. Fourteen Marines were killed and nine wounded in a clash with a combined MILF-Abu Sayyaf force in Tipo-Tipo, Basilan. This follows a long list of reverses by the AFP in Mindanao, despite boasts and promises by GMA and AFP chief of staff, Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr., that they are winning the war against both the Muslim and NPA insurgents.

In Manila, the Department of Justice has directed the NBI to investigate six AFP officers and men for possible complicity in the Jonas Burgos kidnapping.

What’s happening, Madame President? Who’s to blame? Are we going to blame the soldiers killed or wounded, themselves? Is this karma for the extra-judicial killings of militants and activists?

And acting Defense Secretary Bert Gonzales, what’s your explanation, if any? And why are AFP soldiers being deployed in Metro Manila when the battlefield is in Mindanao? Will Gonzales and Esperon now have the delicadeza to resign for these failures and mistakes?

Tidbits. If the anti-terrorism law is defective, why did Congress, especially the Senate, pass it? Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. and Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, principal author of the law, have a lot of explaining to do especially since the Senate version was adopted in the bicameral conference committee... Agusan del Sur Gov. Eddie Plaza has been appointed vice chairman of Pagcor. Does this mean Ephraim Genuino will stay as chairman? Pagcor insiders are wondering about Plaza’s appointment because there is no existing position of vice chairman in the Pagcor board.