EDITORIAL — An inconvenient truth

The controversy over the alleged overpricing of decorative streetlamps installed in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapulapu during the Asean Summit in January is a huge munitions dump that is in grave danger of being raided for political purposes in the coming elections.

The sheer amount of the alleged overprice is sickening and the Office of the Ombudsman, which has started to investigate the matter, should get to the bottom of the mess promptly so that those involved will be meted the proper punishment.

Knowing the pace of justice in this country, however, it is doubtful if the probe can be finished on time to arrest the possibility of the issue being hijacked. The matter is already bad as it is without it getting worse by being used for motives other than seeking proper accounting.

Tough luck therefore on those who, rightly or wrongly, now find themselves in the crosshairs of the probe which, judging by the initial noise, is expected to be high profile and explosive.

This early, several facts seem headed for acceptance without dispute. And these are that the purchases were made by the DPWH in and that the money used in the purchases came from the Asean war chest of the national government. The locals merely took delivery of the items.

Still, given the irrationality that such controversies generate, local officials cannot escape the natural progression of people's thoughts. Where there is smoke there has got to be a fire. And where there is fire, somebody has got to roast.

That is the predicament faced by the locals. We do not believe they had a hand in the purchases, especially since none of the money used came from local coffers. But because they are the ones people readily see, the moment the mudballs start flying, it is they who get hit.

The locals can only protest their innocence and agonize as the Ombudsman sifts through the facts in search of truth. In the end, though, justice will be served. The innocent will move on with their lives and the guilty, hopefully, will rot in prison.