Protecting themselves

Ben Contreras

TO exclude plunder among the crimes punishable by death is self-serving and Speaker Alvarez should be ashamed to even think of it. It validates the long perception that lawmakers are making more loopholes than laws, loopholes that will protect them in the future, loopholes to go around certain laws, and loopholes that will reduce the seriousness of their crimes. Shame on you, lawmakers, if you approve this!

The ordinary folks have been complaining that the harsher laws of the land are for the poor only because the rich can buy justice and their freedom while the powerful merely use their influence to circumvent the laws.

This reminds me of that poor government employee who got a life term for a measly P10-thousand misused government fund. Adding insult to injury and salt to an open wound, our lawmakers passed a law that does not classify stealing of funds that are less than P50 million as plunder.

Now, they’re at it again with this piece of s**t of legislation–the re-imposition of the death penalty that excludes plunder as among the crimes that are punishable. This is totally inconsistent with the President’s desire to rid our government of corruption.

Another very protective legislator is Rep. Rey Umali who said, “Thieves reform, but a killer is a killer.” I beg to disagree. Thieves in Congress thrive and many go unpunished. If only a few have been punished, it’s not because they’re the only ones guilty but because the camaraderie works well to save their necks. What’s that again? Honor among thieves?

Any attempt to shield themselves from any possible punishment should be rejected by our President. Otherwise, our President would be accused of double standard, and of being soft on his erring allies.

Critics are everywhere and are just waiting for any false move by our President and his allies. Some of the President’s appointees were already caught being involved in anomalies.

At a time when there are rumors on coups and destabilization moves, the President just can’t afford to see his ratings plummet due to mistakes directly committed by him or his appointees and allies.

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Environment Secretary Gina Lopez is up against giant mining companies. These firms have resources that amount to billions of pesos, more than enough to buy paid pro-mining testimonies of ordinary folk, pay willing propagandists from the media sector, for lobby money for lawmakers and payola in the Commission on Appointments.

Gina is standing on her ground, not blindly but with full knowledge of what is happening at ground zero. The photos and videos of destroyed hills and rivers are real. She personal saw them from a chopper.

These mining companies after Gina’s head have no conscience at all. All they think is money, money and more money. May the wrath of Mother Nature be upon them and their families!

Back in 1969, the river of Tubay (then, they called it Tubay-tubay) was very clean and the water was pristine. Today, the river is gone, destroyed by unregulated if not, illegal mining. One afternoon, after a break from our travel selling Ajinomoto, we frolicked in the knee-deep water to refresh ourselves.

When Gina became DENR secretary, a team from Manila was sent to Caraga to investigate and audit mining companies. A friend from the MGB-10 office was one them. The team found many violations, and expected the cancellation of the mining permits. We are now seeing the fruit of their effort.

Gina deserves the support of the people. Let us give it to her.