I believe Toti is clean

By Al S. Mendoza

 

IT is nauseating, to say the least, to hear a mountain of lies peddled in a House/Senate hearing.

Worst, the “story telling a lie” is aired in public, covered by both radio and TV.

The following day, all the lies—most of them, anyways—are printed in the newspapers.

It sucks.

I makes me puke.

Sad, sad, sad. Gut-wrenching.

Times, indeed, are changing.

If the country is now the text-capital of the world, it is also fast becoming as the probe capital of the world.

Left and right, we hold probes in both the House and the Senate.

In aid of legislation?

I say it’s more of a grand design of grandstanding by our political clowns, both of the old and the new kind, than anything.

Include “resource persons” a.k.a. witnesses.

An example was the testimony of Herbert Colangco in this week’s House hearing about inmates involved allegedly on illegal drug operations at the Bilibid prison in Muntinlupa.

The convicted drug-dealer, a.k.a. a high-profile inmate, dragged the names of several persons, including the dignified and truly honorable, in his sweeping statement to implicate them in patently manufactured sins against society.

In the process, Francisco “Toti” Baraan, the former Justice undersecretary, became a sorry victim of collateral damage.

Thus, in the interest of fairness, I now print the side of Toti, who is our very own product—the pride and joy of Dasol town.

Toti’s statement:

“The transfer of prisoners within the Bilibid Compound, e.g. from the medium security to the maximum security, is decided exclusively by the Bureau Director.  I did not have that authority to cause or order any such transfer.

“In instances like this, the Bucor Director would decide alone, and would not formally seek the approval of the Office of the Secretary.  Director Dy-Po of the Technical Staff of the DoJ (Note:  The Technical Staff is supervised by a different Usec) can clarify this.  Any Bucor Director can also attest to this.  We did not even know who were transferred and where, when, why were the transfers made.

“Colangco’s claim is a complete nonsense.  I challenge him to produce any document that shows I approved any transfer of inmate/s within the Bilibid compound.

“I do not personally know of any employee in the Technical Staff whose name is Susan.

“I inquired from Director Dy-Po and she informed me that two employees in her office carry that name.  What I am certain of is that I do not have—with either of them—that kind of dealing that Colangco generally described in his outlandish claim. What he claimed is a total impossibility insofar as I am concerned.”

I do not know Toti personally.

I have yet to meet Toti in person.

On gut feel, I believe Toti is clean.

On most times, instinct is the best teacher.

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