Before the year 2020 ended, there was a last scandal of sorts to make it to the headlines; the naming of public officials allegedly involved in corrupt dealings with the Department of Public Works and Highways.
According to reports, those tagged were Occidental Mindoro Rep. Josephine Ramirez Sato, Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas, Misamis Occidental Rep. Henry Oaminal, Isabela Rep. Alyssa Sheena Tan, Northern Samar Rep. Paul Daza, Quezon Rep. Angelina "Helen" Tan, ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Eric Yap, Bataan Rep. Geraldine Roman, and former Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat Jr.
But the one who named the officials, no other than President Rodrigo Duterte himself, was quick to add a caveat when he read the list.
"The public should be aware that there is no hard evidence, that's one. That it cannot be translated by just reading the names that they are already guilty because presumption of innocence would lie all throughout until conviction or acquittal," Duterte said.
So, in short, he was saying the officials might be involved in corruption. Might be involved, may be involved, could be involved, but certainly not definitely involved.
So what was the purpose in publishing such a list? Was it intended to just malign and humiliate the said named officials?
The president is a lawyer, as such he should be more familiar with certain rules and behavior. Especially when it comes to such a sensitive issue as allegations or accusations, never mind for what crime or dastardly act was allegedly committed.
While he should have been more circumspect in his actions, he shouldn’t have all the blame since it was the Philippine Anti-Crime Commission that gave him the list, again, with the caveat that there was no hard proof against the officials.
Those named don’t only have to be worried about their reputations, they may also have to be worried for their lives, as there have been many instances when officials included in so-called drug or corruption lists have ended up dead.
Again, if someone has evidence against a public official for corruption then let him or her present the evidence to the proper legal authorities so those public officials can be charged and brought before the court of law.
There is no practical purpose that can be achieved by subjecting them to a trial by publicity by revealing their names without any solid evidence of the accusations against them.