Million-dollar strategem

When politics and politicians get into the picture what comes out are nothing but dirts and falsehoods. This is a truism so peculiar to the Philippine scene such that almost nobody believes anymore any expose’ coming out of the mouths of politicians. They are, in the minds and hearts of right thinking Filipinos,nothing but a game of politics played by those who have nothing in mind but their own interests .The media hype generated by such a revelation all the more makes it less credible because people already know that this is what the grandstanding politicians relish with gusto. And so this game has again begun with the "million dollar man" scandal-mongering that involves no less than Secretary of Justice Nani Perez. Since people know that this is part of the game politicians play, they don’t believe in it anymore, or at least take it with a grain of salt.

But there is still a danger in playing this kind of games.The mud-slinging may be a regular "fare" during election campaign periods by contending candidates or their paid hacks. But in between elections and when the object of the villification is holding a highly sensitive position like the Secretary of Justice, the credibility of his performance somehow suffers by besmirching his name.Worst is that he is being linked to a scandal based only on unconfirmed reports and hearsay evidence. None of those who named him as the "million dollar man" is willing to take an oath subscribing to the truth of their allegations. Indeed, the charges are already old and rehashed. They have already been raised against Perez when his appointment as Secretary of Justice was the subject of the confirmation hearings in the Commission on Appointments. And they were all found to be unfounded.

Perez’s case is more alarming because he is among the few remaining officials in this administration who has been doing his job with utmost competence, efficiency and dedication.He has been fearlessly waging an all out battle against those trying to make a mockery of our laws.His no nonsense attitude in the performance of his job has instilled fear among those who have "brushes with the law" at one time or another. So they would not want him to succeed or would really want him out like the others in this government who were eased out for stepping on so many toes.The President should not allow this to happen again.Otherwise, the few good men still with her will be further depleted.

Most disturbing is the indentity of persons behind the exposé naming Perez as the "million dollar man". They are facing charges which Perez is relentlessly prosecuting. Perez is instrumental in reviving the Kuratong Baleleng murder case against Senator Panfilo Lacson. The Supreme Court has in fact remanded this case to the lower court to ascertain whether the previous dismissal of the charges against Lacson was done in accordance with law as to constitute double jeopardy.The Department of Justice under Perez has been steadfast in its position that there is no double jeopardy and that Lacson should be included in the murder charges because there are adequate evidence against him.This is reason enough for Lacson to get Perez out of the way by linking him to an anomaly based on unconfirmed reports.

Congressman Willie Villarama on the other hand should have first gathered enough evidence that will stand in court before making any denunciation especially because of his known previous connection with Congressman Mark Jimenez. As everybody knows, Perez has been relentless in his pusuit of the extradition of Jimenez to the USA.The DOJ has in fact recently obtained a Supreme Court ruling for the arrest of Jimenez and his detention without bail pending extradition.Villarama’s unconfirmed attack on Perez therefore suffers from serious credility problem because it is apparently done in behalf of Jimenez who is facing imminent extradition mainly because of Perez.

By deflecting the heat away from them and turning it on Perez, Lacson and Jimenez are hoping that Perez will be pressured to finally resign.They will then be able to get rid of their number one nemesis and make sure that the next DOJ Secretary will be "more friendly" as he will again pass through the "wringer" that is the Congressional Commission on Appointments.

Perez should not therefore succumb to this pressure.Instead he should now pursue more relentlessly the cases against Lacson and Jimenez.He should not be deterred by the political ploy particularly of Lacson who has declared his presidential bid in the expectation that the prosecution of the cases against him will be seen as"political persecution" thereby making him a "martyr".This will never happen if there are sufficient evidence against him.Martyrs are those who suffer for the sake of truth not those who are prosecuted for violations of law.