Lessons our
leaders must learn

Former Justice Secretary Hernando Perez is facing extortion, money laundering, and other graft charges filed by the Ombudsman.

Perez, the first justice secretary of President Arroyo is accused by Rep. Mark Jimenez of many cases in court, for extorting from him two million dollars. The amount was for Perez to ease the pressure on Jimenez to testify on the plunder case against deposed President Joseph Estrada and for the approval by the President of the rehabilitation and operation of a power plant in Laguna by an Argentine company.

Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, former justice undersecretary of Perez, could not help but file the cases because of the preponderance of evidences submitted by Jimenez and gathered by the prosecutors of the Ombudsman's office.

It is still too early to say if Perez will get the noose around his neck. But the fact that the President was reported to have distanced herself from her former justice secretary is a sign that the cases will go through.

***

It can only be greed, pure and simple that drove Perez to allegedly extort money from Jimenez. He had enough power already as justice secretary.

Did Perez not foresee the consequences? Was he not aware that he became justice secretary because President Joseph Estrada was deposed because of the so-called "economic plunder?" And why was he so confident that Jimenez would not "sing?"

He was just so obsessed with having money, not remembering, too, that before Estrada, Ferdinand Marcos had fallen because of also massive corruption?

Can money alone help? When he resigned he ran for the governorship of Batangas and he lost miserably. Now, what does the future hold for Perez, his wife, and friends because of these cases? How will people look at his children and grandchildren, considering the record of their "Old Man?"

Let this be a lesson to all officials of government. A good name is still the best heirloom to hand down to one's children and grandchildren.

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The other point. President Arroyo also said she will veto the bill that legislates a wage increase of P125 a day across the board.

The House already passed it on the sponsorship of the leftist party-list Congressmen. In the Senate, Senator Jinggoy Estrada who, by his performance, does not deserve to be a Senator, sponsored a bill making the raise to only P100 a day.

What is very disappointing is our lawmakers. Congressmen, especially, do not study before voting on a bill and its consequences to the country. The Congressmen who voted on it did not know what they were voting on.

What they should know is the basic economics that wages and prices are not to be legislated. They rise or fall on the working of market forces. Laws cannot stop their rise or fall.

If they knew the danger of the bill to the economy and yet they voted, it's worse because they are dishonest. What are our Congressmen for? Whose interest are they supposed to protect, that of the country or their own selfish interest?

The late unlamented Ferdinand Marcos was right in abolishing Congress. If only he was not corrupt, he could have been one of our greatest Presidents.

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This brings us down to Bacolod on the hot issue of the small town lottery. This, too, was passed by Congress, supposedly to eliminate jueteng. But, in our place where there is no jueteng, STL has posed a big problem.

Many mayors have accepted it with the exception of the good ones. In some towns policemen are instructed to apprehend STL bet solicitors.

Now, it's getting into Bacolod. And while we have good Barangay Captains opposing it, there are just as many, if not more wanting to adopt it.

Now, the burden is with the city council to allow STL or not. The Church, led by Bishop Vicente Navarra and Vicar General Vic Rivas are strongly opposing it.

It is here where we will be able to gauge the clout of the Church, especially because this concerns moral issues. The Church must not hold its punches. It must use extensively the pulpit against the supporters of STL.

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The Church does not only have the moral issue to stand on. It has always been defending the poor. This is the fight they must wage if really they are sincere in helping the poor.

The mathematics is simple. Numbers games are always a racket. The number you bet on is against nearly 60,000 other combinations. What chance of winning do you have? Especially so when the draw can be rigged in favor of the combination with the least bet.

Then from the proceeds, big amounts go to the franchise holder and some goes to public officials, what does the city, town, or barangay get? Practically nothing, just a pittance, compared to the big money taken from the poor people there as bets.

Nothing is worse in this world than victimizing the poorest of the poor.

Officials are sucking their blood, their hard earned money. If the Church cannot help these poor people, they cannot help themselves later.*

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