W.B. Mess: Finally the Ombudsman moves!

Tomorrow is an Election Day. We must all vote for Mother Earth and support the global campaign called Earth Hour, where at 8:30 to 9:30 tomorrow evening, the whole world joins together in harmony by turning off our lights for a whole hour. This just makes me wonder how the various international satellite tv networks would cover this momentous global event when the power in our homes is turned off. Of course, they can always join Earth Hour and stop their tv broadcast for a full hour, to signify our efforts to stop global warming. Come and join us by switching off the lights and power in your homes.

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Some kind of electric shock must have struck the Office of the Ombudsman recently because all of a sudden, after their hemming and hawing, Assistant Ombudsman Mark Jalandoni has revealed that their office together with the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) already probed the so-called World Bank mess and found former Secretary Florante Soriquez and 16 other officials from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) liable of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act. This stem from the documentary evidence found, linking them to those World Bank funded road projects that came to light when banned construction firms were still allowed by the DPWH to continue working on those projects.

This should be a slap to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee that earlier investigated this case and came up empty handed. I read an ABS-CBN-Newsbreak report that found at least four countries, namely the US, Sweden, the Republic of Guinea and Lesotho that acted against its nationals based on World Bank investigations and leads, contractors, government officials and even World Bank officials who were convicted over their involvement in corrupt practices.

This tells us that corruption is not endemic in the Philippines, but in many other countries as well. Even World Bank officials have been convicted, as what Sen. Joker Arroyo pointed out in trying to discredit the World Bank report on the DPWH scam. But in the end, the host countries acted upon the Word Bank’s anti-corruption unit and convictions were made and the findings publicly made for all to see and show as an example, while the Ombudsman in our country dragged their foot on this case.

Our weakest point is the Office of the Ombudsman under Merceditas Gutierrez who seems nonchalant about the problems she is facing. I’m glad that at least, she must have seen the light that her job is to find the crooks in government who steal public funds. Let’s hope that this is a new beginning for the Office of the Ombudsman and that other celebrated cases will also be prosecuted and soon!

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I must congratulate our good friends, Cebu City Administrator Francisco “Bimbo” Fernandez and Capitol Consultant Atty. Rory Jon Sepulveda for their courage and determination in back channeling to find ways to resolve the conflict between Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña and Cebu Governor Gwen F. Garcia. If ever such an avenue towards a peaceful settlement of the issues swirling around them can be found between the contending parties, it must be pursued with vigor, as both are fighting for the same purpose - to help and support their respective constituents.

Call them “na buking” because a secret memo was discovered by the media. However, there is no question that the dividends for a peaceful settlement are greater than a prolonged and unnecessary conflict. We’ve seen how the world has become too frustrated with the never-ending conflict between the Palestinians and the Israelis, or closer to home, between the Philippine government and the Muslim separatists or communist insurgents.

But history has taught us that peace reaps more dividends than a prolonged conflict. A case in point is the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt and later on with Jordan. Since the signing of their respective peace agreements, Israel has lived harmoniously with these former enemies. This is a lesson we must all learn from.

Both Bimbo Fernandez and Jong Sepulveda have the ears of both the Governor and the Mayor, but more importantly their respect. So I’m sure something good would come out of their efforts. It may not bear fruit today, but by offering our prayers for the success of their endeavors, I’m sure we shall see a happy ending on this otherwise ugly problem. Mind you, if there is anything that the ordinary Cebuano wants, it is peace. As both the Governor and the Mayor always pray to the Señor Sto. Niño, I’m very positive that the Lord will hear the cries of anguish of the Cebuano people.