Closure to past scams

EDITORIAL

There is need for the Aquino administration to put a closure to the scams of the past administration by holding those involved accountable for graft and corruption.

Senate minority leader Alan Peter Cayetano has stressed this but even as he lauded the Aquino administration for its good work in instituting good governance, he said he found the latter lacking in holding the Arroyo administration accountable for its alleged corruption raps.

“Holding people accountable is an effective deterrent against future abuses to power. It is the only way we learn. When a person is removed from office, charged and incarcerated, we send a message that crime does not pay. If not, they will just resort to better timing or hiding.”

Cayetano pointed out that while it is only right that the government go after the “big fish” in graft and corruption cases, there is also a need to go after the “small fishes” who are tasked to do the paperwork necessary to commit these crimes.

“If we look at the scams that happened during the Arroyo administration – fertilizer scam, ZTE, swine scam, etc – no one was held accountable so far. And worse, we are only focusing on the mastermind.”

The minority leader used the Hello Garci scandal to illustrate his point, stating that while the Garci tapes may not be used as evidence, it can still be used as a lead in an independent investigation should the Malacanang show the initiative to do so.

“How important is it to Malacanang to go after the evils or the sins of the past administration? If the Garci boys are still present and even promoted here in the Commission on Elections, who’s to say that the Fertilizer Boys and the Swine Scam boys are not roaming at large at the Department of Agriculture or in the other agencies? Or the ZTE boys still lurking at NEDA (National Economic Development Authority and DOTC (Department of Transportation and Communications?” he asked.

What does the Malacanang Communications Department say about this?