The gods of plunder?

The filing of plunder and graft charges against several lawmakers, government officials and Janet Lim Napoles is clear evidence that P-Noy is determined to institutionalize the rule of law in this country.

For those who still have any doubts about the seriousness of Daang Matuwid, just remember that it was P-Noy who activated the Inter Agency Anti-Graft Coordinating Council (IAAGC) as the principal tool for the joint investigation of the pork barrel scam. It was also P-Noy who appointed the three members of the Council now also known as the Three Furies. These are, for the few who still do not know, COA Chair Grace Pulido Tan, Ombudsman  Conchita Carpio-Morales and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

There are also reports that the implicated lawmakers and the Napoles gang members are also being investigated for possible tax evasion. This means that there is now a Fourth Fury — BIR Commissioner Kim Henares, who is also an appointee of P-Noy.

This whole episode has also become a major topic in social media. It has produced a lot of very imaginative wordplay that I predict will eventually become part of Filipino vocabulary. For example, I received an email from a reader who said that the new synonym for PLUNDER is HERMES.

In Greek mythology Hermes was the god of thieves and commerce. He is quick and cunning and moved freely between the worlds of the mortal and the divine. He was the guide or the conductor of souls to the underworld also known as hell.

But according to this reader, HERMES represents the initials of Honasan, Enrile, Revilla, Marcos, Estrada, Sotto. Obviously these are the senators allegedly implicated in the Napoles pork barrel scam.

In what Secretary de Lima calls the first tranche, three senators and Janet Lim Napoles were among those charged with plunder.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada was one of the three senators charged. In a way, it is surprising that he did not exert more effort in ensuring that his methodology for distributing his PDAF would be foolproof. The reason I say this is that one would expect he would be more careful because his father was convicted of plunder.

Just a reminder, former president Joseph Estrada, now Mayor of Manila was convicted of plunder by the Sandiganbayan on September 19, 2007. Today is the 6th anniversary of that conviction.

It took six years for the Sandiganbayan to reach a final verdict regarding that case. Previous analysts have said that Estrada’s strategy was to keep delaying the case hoping that the next president would pardon him. While he was hoping his friend Fernando Poe Jr. would win and pardon him, it was another president – Gloria Macapagal Arroyo – who ended up pardoning him. This enabled him to run and win as mayor of Manila.  The same president who pardoned him is now under detention and in turn is also charged with plunder.

This convoluted political thriller of a plot would not have been credible if it was made into a telenovela.

The other senator charged with plunder was former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile. A week ago I wrote a column that we should never forget martial law and all its horrors.  I received an email from a reader and a good friend. He asked: “Elfren, can you explain to me how Marcos’ Minister of Defense during martial law can become the country’s Senate President instead of jailed for life? Cheers, Peter.”

Normally, I make an effort to answer serious queries from my readers quickly. But after a week, I have not yet been able to compose a reasonable and acceptable answer to this request. Perhaps, justice comes in different forms and maybe in this case justice delayed will be final  justice served.

The third senator charged with plunder was Senator Bong Revilla. I remember that when he topped the senatorial election, he publicly boasted that there was no more “Wednesday Club,” referring to the ruling Senate clique at that time. He probably thought popularity and good looks, not intelligence or competence, are the main qualifications for Senate leadership.

The “good” senator naturally believes that these charges are politically motivated, targeting especially those with presidential or vice presidential ambitions. It’s hard to figure out which is more incredulous – that the senator believes the whole investigation was only a political zarzuela or that he actually believes he is qualified to become President of the Philippines.

The issue now is whether the three senators will be suspended from their senate posts. The answer seems clear to me. In the law “An Act Defining and Penalizing the Crime of Plunder,” there are two relevant sections.

Section 1 defines a public officer as any person holding any public office in the Government of the Republic of the Philippines by virtue of an appointment, election or contract. The three Senators are clearly public officers. The law also states: “Any public officer against whom any prosecution under a valid information under this Act in whatever stage of execution and mode of persecution is pending in court  shall be suspended from office.”

This is a matter that should immediately be addressed by the Senate ethics committee which has jurisdiction on “All matters relating to the conduct, rights, privileges, safety, dignity, integrity and reputation of the Senate and its members.”

But surprisingly, the Senate committee on ethics and privileges is one of the three or four permanent committees out of 42! that still does not have a chairperson or vice-chairperson. I hope one of the neophyte senators decides to assume this post.

We are now witnessing the wheels of justice turning and P-Noy and the Three Furies enforcing the rule of law. The road towards progress must remain straight and true. So we should all be vigilant and be on the lookout for any obstructions, distractions or ploys that may seek to prevent from bringing even the high and mighty back down to earth.

*      *      *

Email: elfrencruz@gmail.com