Letters from readers

I thought it might be interesting to share three letters, from my readers, responding to three different columns that I recently wrote.

The first is a reaction to my column GMA Plunder Case two weeks ago. Based on evidence, which I summarized in my column, the Office of the Ombudsman believes that there is a strong case that could lead to a conviction. The Sandiganbayan has also denied bail petition, for GMA, six times which indicates that the court believes the evidence is very strong. Here is the letter from a reader:

“ Thank you for calling attention to this very serious issue. It bears emphasizing that every peso in the hands of the PCSO is money directly put there by the people. Yet the alleged plunder by the former president of hundreds of millions of this money seems to be on the verge of being forgotten even by those who are its direct victims.

The absence of outrage is puzzling and worrisome. But it may be because caught in the daily struggle to earn a living as most of us are, we only vaguely recognize that a government official who steals from the public funds, steals money that belongs to the people.

And no other public funds more directly belongs to the people than money collected from them by the PCSO. Most come from hard earned wages staked on a lottery ticket that might bring relief from life-long hardship. The accumulated amount runs into billions. Many of the ticket buyers seem unaware of where it goes.

While the plunder case against Arroyo is pending before the Supreme Court, it should be the right time to inform them of what they stand to gain if the case is eventually judged as you hoped for ‘on the basis of the rule of law.’

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office was created under R.A. 1169 expressly for the purpose of accumulating a charity fund. R.A. 1169 provides that 55 percent should be allocated for payment of prizes, 30 percent for charity funds and 15 percent for the office operating funds. It further mandates that the balance of any of these funds shall revert to form part of the Charity fund from which the PCSO will draw the necessary amounts to support health programs, medical assistance and other charitable services nationwide.

The millions of ticket buyers who directly fund these charities have the right to know why PCSO is a non-law enforcement agency, allocated almost P365 million as confidential and intelligence fund and why a significant portion of it was later found to have been transmitted to the Office of the President and none to any law enforcement agency.

The courts have an obligation to inform them. A.T.“

I recently wrote a column entitled “Rule of Law vs. Mob Rule.” The immediate issue is whether the final decision on the Grace Poe disqualification case should be left to the Supreme Court, as provided by the Constitution or whether the people should decide the case through election. One of the more sober response came from a foreigner residing in the Philippines. Here is his letter:

“Thank you for sharing this column with me. I interestingly read this. It is a tough question between laws and the will of the people. And it is a common issue across many democratic countries. Everybody accepts, I suppose, that we should interpret laws with a view to maximizing benefit to all. The problem is how we can do that.

Some say that an election is one of the fundamentals which underpin open and democratic societies. So we highly consider vox populi. I have no objection to it. However, at the same time, we should realize it might fall into populism which could destroy our society at the end of the day.

The toughest matter facing us is how we are able to strike a balance between them. I am afraid nobody has the correct answer to this. Having said that, the observation of former Chief Justice Panganiban would be accepted by many Filipinos, I suppose. Kind regards. Y.U. “

The day before Christmas, my column “ Christmas Books for Children” came out. I wrote that one of the most fulfilling legacies we can leave the next generation is the power of imagination which can only be transmitted through the written word in books. The digital age leaves little room for imagination. I wrote of classics in children’s literature that have lasted for generations like Alice in Wonderland, Little Prince, Peter Pan, Secret Garden and The Little Match Girl. One of the more interesting response came from Eloisa Carbon who wrote:

“ I, too, lived at a time when books were important part of people’s lives. I remember the story about a tiger who turned round and round and round until he turned into cheese. Some nonsense but it made sense to me as a child.

The first book I had was Alice and Jerry. The pictures were colored and I loved to run my fingers over them. But books that looked unattractive because there were few pictures and did not reflect movement I kept and read because they made me sorry thinking nobody liked them. I wonder if you read the story about the hen who kept running because she thought the sky was falling. Or the old horse whose master no longer had any use for him so he went to live in the forest with his friends.

Now everything is graphic and detailed. There is very little left to the imagination. ..The toys children get are fantastic. And a child gets not just one or two but accumulates a roomful before he reaches school age. I no longer wonder why my youngest grandchild prefers the boxes and wrappers and price tags as playthings.”

I want to thank my readers who have kept vigil with me this past year – 2015. I read every message you send me. Happy New Year to you and to our beloved country.

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