The President’s men from Pangasinan

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

AFTER the DPWH, it’s the projects of the Department of Agriculture that are highly vulnerable to corruption. Like the substandard mix for asphalt and cement for road projects, anomalies almost always attend distribution of millions-worth of fertilizers, feeds and maintenance of irrigation systems.

It, therefore, came as no surprise that the DA’s multi-million swine project, and yet another fertilizer scam, and now the P218-million Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (that’s GMA for you!) have been rapaciously plundered. On top of DA is Pangasinense Arthur Yap.

Kababaing la lamet!

But perhaps another Pangasinense more than made up for it. It was the Commission on Audit that revealed the series of anomalies. COA is headed by Pangasinense lawyer Rey Villar.

* * * * *

While Mr. Yap was quick to point responsibility to local government officials, Makati Mayor Jojo Binay blunted that alibi and maintained that Mr. Yap (and President Arroyo) should be held accountable. And he’s right!

And what could be the motivation for the unabated stealing besides the usual ‘get-rich-quick’?

Perhaps the grumbling by a number of mayors here over the demand of a high-ranking official of the Department of Agriculture for ‘S.O.P. kickback’ in exchange for the nationally-funded projects delivered to their towns, should be telling enough.

It appears that the mayors have been promised by the DA a caboodle of projects but with one caveat – there must be something in it for him.

The shameless DA official even tapped a young Pangasinense in the GMA bureaucracy as his bagman to make sure everyone delivers the set percentage. Kawawa naman ang bata so young and already taught the ropes of corruption.

The DA official, the mayors say, is keen on saving-up for a plan to be one of GMA’s candidates in the 2010 election.

So, what else is new?

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ESPERON, THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB. Here’s an interesting behind-the-scene situation involving Presidential Peace Adviser and chief negotiator Hermogenes Esperon, another GMA ‘favorite’ Pangasinense.

Before the MOA on ancestral domain with the MILF was initialed, I asked a non-government organization operating in Mindanao what the MILF thought of our Mr. Esperon as the new presidential peace adviser and chief negotiator in the peace talk. I asked the question given the public impression that being the hawkish chief of staff of AFP, his presence would be the antithesis to the peace process. Were the Moros in the MILF panel suspicious of him?

I expected an affirmative reply, but no, I was told the opposite was true. The Moros actually regarded him highly; in fact they surprisingly felt Mr. Esperon’s entry would finally break the decade-old impasse.

Two weeks later, the news about the MOA being initialed was announced, and the formal signing would be done in Malaysia. Indeed, Mr. Esperon had a direct line to GMA to get things done – and he spoke for GMA! And GMA proved it when the government affirmed the scheduled signing in Malaysia to be attended by the US ambassador herself. Or so we thought.

* * * * *

But all hell broke loose as a result of the loud public outcry against the MOA, particularly when the Supreme Court stopped the government from signing it. Seeing the writing on the wall, GMA promptly left Mr. Esperon holding the proverbial bag by rejecting the document that had Mr. Esperon’s initials. The government officially declared that the MOA was untenable, being unconstitutional, and it did not have the imprimatur of GMA! This was manifested by Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera before the Supreme Court in a bid to save face for GMA.

To rub salt in his injury, Press Sec. Jess Dureza was adamant in his claim that their boss GMA never read the MOA nor was she advised of the content as claimed by Mr. Esperon!

The fair-haired boy from Pangasinan was clearly being made the sacrificial lamb to save the Queen.

* * * * *

But to the surprise of many, including this corner, Mr. Esperon would not take it in the chin in spite of the consolation given him to lead in the reorganization of the government’s peace panel. He insists to this day that GMA was fully apprised of the content of the MOA, giving the impression that he did not move unilaterally without OK from GMA no less.

Evidently, Mr. Esperon is out to salvage whatever is left of his credibility with the Moros.

On hindsight, I can now understand what made the Moros appreciative of Mr. Esperon. Evidently, on his word that the President supports his every move in the peace process gave the Moros the impression that he was the answer to their prayers. If Mr. Esperon could promise smooth sailing for the MOA, the Moros had every reason to embrace him notwithstanding the repugnant military arrogance that many found in him.

But now that he failed to deliver, worse, he is embarrassed to no end before the MILF panel for making the members believe that it was a done deal. I can imagine how and what they feel now towards Mr. Esperon.

But even as we feel sorry for our kabaleyan, I am aghast at how the Malacanang occupants regard us. They must think of us as idiots who will believe all the alibis they concoct on every turn without regard to truth. Or do they simply believe that we are nothing but a bunch of helpless simpletons who can’t have the nerve to stand up to them

Methinks, it’s the latter and to their credit, that seems to work for GMA and her ilk.

(Readers may reach columnist at punch.sunday@gmail.com. For past columns, click http://sundaypunch.prepys.com/archives/category/opinion/punchline/
For reactions to this column, click “Send MESSAGES, OPINIONS, COMMENTS” on default page.)

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