''The cause of the evil caused"
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman Richard Gordon, in reading the draft of his committee report on the results of the Dengvaxia senate inquiry, quoted a famous Spanish legal maxim: "El que es causa de la causa es causa del mal causado" (He who is the cause of the cause is the cause of the evil caused). It is unfortunate such a very condemning line was made to refer to former president Benigno Aquino. It seems the report holds PNoy as the ultimate cause of the decision to spend P9 billion to buy the untested Dengvaxia. The gist of the charge was that neither then Budget Secretary Florencio Abad nor former Health Secretary Janet Garin would have done what they did if not for PNoy's decision to go ahead.
The draft was not yet approved by the Senate plenary but already drew reactions. Senator Ping Lacson said he cannot imagine PNoy being involved in such a controversy, especially if it involves corruption. Senator JV Ejercito said PNoy might have been negligent but not dishonest. The most vehement was, as usual, Senator Antonio Trillanes who said Gordon was engaging in politicking and political harassment, and that such a draft would not be approved by the Senate as a whole. Senator Bam Aquino decried the premature release of the unsigned report. LP Vice President Erin Tañada (who might be running for senator) also criticized the report.
Whatever differences among senators there are, the truth is there are many ordinary citizens who believe the gist of the report. By the people's ordinary understanding of the principle of command responsibility, PNoy should be honorable enough to accept full responsibility for the mess. It is so serious because lives have been lost and even PNoy's own appointee PAO Chief Persida Acosta holds the view that Dengvaxia caused the deaths. PNoy, like Trillanes, cannot just say Gordon and Acosta are politicking. This is a very serious matter that must be lodged in the proper court. We concur that Aquino, Abad, and Garin should be charged immediately.
A lot of Filipinos know Aquino has a bad record in decision-making. It was Aquino who ordered the siege that led to the Mamasapano massacre. The Ombudsman herself (also a PNoy appointee), found Aquino liable for arrogating unto himself the function that belonged to then suspended PNP Chief Alan Purisima. It was also Aquino who approved the alleged purchase from China of MRT trains not congruent with the railway system they are supposed to serve. PNoy, and former Transportation secretaries Mar Roxas and Joseph Abaya should be held answerable for a monumental blunder. If PNoy was really honest, I would say that he was grossly and habitually negligent. He was lazy and not thorough in his analysis. He trusted too much his underlings. Gordon reminded us that negligence may be tantamount to a criminal offense.
It would appear then, that the cause of the evil caused, that Gordon mentioned, points to PNoy. This is not plain politics. This is a serious national issue that should be resolved in court.
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