Karma at the PCSO?

The first major issue that the Aquino Regime targeted when it took power last July 2010 was when its newly appointed chairman Mrs. Margarita Juico of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) went on a media rampage aimed to discredit the bishops who were getting special treatment by the Sweeps Office and given Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) like Pajeros by the previous administration.

Thus the term, “Mitsubishop” was tagged against these innocent clergymen, whose real purpose was to use these vehicles in the far-flung areas, where more often than not, the roads never tasted any asphalt. It was natural for them to ask these from high ranking government officials at that time and it has always been a practice since time immemorial.

Thus, Mrs. Margie Juico strutted about like a proud peacock, thumbing her noses at the bishops who got these vehicles… literally putting them to shame. They were the new kids on the block… the self-righteous who now rule the PCSO. Later they went against former PCSO Chairman Manoling Morato and even had former PCSO Director Serge Valencia jailed for misusing Sweepstakes funds.

Lo and behold, a few days ago, the Philippine Star came up with an article entitled “COA Orders PCSO Board P10M Refund.” I couldn't believe my eyes that this was happening inside the PCSO under the Aquino Regime… that has ceaselessly been chanting its mantra of “Kung Walang Korrupt, Walang Mahirap.” Well, no less than the Commission on Audit (COA) has ordered the PCSO Board of Directors headed by Ms. Margie Juico to refund close to P10 million in unauthorized salaries.

While it is true that many government officials arrogate upon themselves special bonuses to enrich themselves… the current PCSO officials on the other hand merely allowed handsome salaries for themselves, which the COA has unearthed. Now the truth about what is really happening inside the PCSO has surfaced. You can call it karma from their insulting our bishops!

Under Margie Juico the PCSO officers belong to the top 300 highest paid executives in the Land of Daang Matuwid. Mrs. Juico herself earned a total of P2,677,318.25 annually. COA also clearly pointed out that their per diems and differentials was contrary to Executive Order 19 and 24 signed by Pres. Benigno “PNoy” Aquino, III on Dec. 30, 2010 and Feb. 10, 2011, respectively. So the next big question is… will we see the top executives repay the PCSO their unauthorized salaries and tender their respective resignations?

If you want to know how Malacañang would react to this report… I haven't heard a peep from Ms. Abigail Valte, nor from the President. This is the kind of leadership we have today… they announce to the parapets the sins of the previous administration and even use it as part of their speeches in international conferences… but when it comes to their own corruption, they hide it as if we Filipinos are dumb and stupid. I just hope that the Office of the Ombudsman under Conchita Carpio-Morales, whom we suspect wears a yellow pin, would shed off her pro-PNoy skin and conduct an investigation on this case… otherwise, this is the beginning of the end of Daang Matuwid.

*  *  *

It was one of the big issues that plagued the entry of Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno where she practically decided not by the usual “en banc” but by herself that she would push through with the project dubbed the reopening of the Regional Court Administration Office (RCAO) in Lapu-Lapu City. She mistakenly thought that the other associate justices would simply go along with her plans to decentralize the courts and would support this project even without consulting them. But the whole thing backfired… and the Chief Justice was left with her foot in her mouth.

Now we read in the papers that Chief Justice Sereno had apparently changed her mind on this move, when she, together with 14 associate justices, came up with a three-page en banc resolution setting aside the Nov. 27, 2012 resolution that she signed as Chief Justice that would have reopened the RCAO. What has happened here is clearly…a setback to improving our justice system. Instead of fixing the problem, the SC chose to set it aside.

Here was a great idea in decentralizing the judiciary, which would have greatly help improve our snail's pace dispensation of justice, but one misstep from an obviously inexperienced Chief Justice resulted in setting this plan aside. Perhaps someday, our justices would realize that we live in different times and decentralization would speed up the justice system that Filipinos have always been known to be so slow for its own good. Justice delayed as the old dictum says… would always be justice denied.

*  *  *

Emai: [email protected]