Age of Snitches
Why do so many snitches abound in this administration? From the start of her governance, and from the point of view of testimonies against her administration, we are witnesses to a parade of Benedict Arnolds, if you will or plain snitches.
From Dodong Mahusay, to Sandra Cam, Richard Garcia, Dinky Soliman, Louie Zuce and today, Marlon Mendoza, we have seen various persons testify or willing to testify to alleged covert deceitful government conduct. They have their reasons to turncoat. But never have we seen so many witnesses testify against an administration until this Arroyo government. Even in the Erap era, greed was what compelled Gov. Chavit Singson to turn against his friend but then, he was only one.
I do not wish to talk about the motives of these people because motive is a complex and internal thought process that is hard to prove and pursuing that process is a slippery slope that can lead only to speculations, conjectures, innuendoes, and name-calling, one that the self-righteous madam, Sandra Cam, seems to be revel in nowadays.
I am curious to know why our society tolerates and even encourages snitches. Is it because we despise the president and her spouse so much that we will believe any person who has some ill thing to say against this government? Is it because the snitches’ sponsors are men of good will like the good bishop Oscar Cruz whose only benchmark for truth is for the snitch to execute an affidavit and which can easily be recanted? Is it because evidences of malfeasance against the government are so difficult to come by that we treat a snitch’s word as gospel truth? Or is it because they are simply telling the truth?
And if this is the measure by which we intend to bring down any government, what does it say about the hierarchy of virtues which we esteem? (a) that it is justified to turn against your friend if you have lost faith in her as in the case of Dinky Soliman? [This seems to be a perverse application of the doctrine of justification by faith]; or (b) that my loyalty to the country begins where my loyalty to my president ends? [How many political hacks cloaked themselves as Manuel L. Quezon wanna-bes? Which much to the consternation of his grandson, Manolo, would paraphrase U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen and say to the wanna-be: “Senator, I knew Manuel L. Quezon. He was my grandfather. You’re no Manuel L. Quezon.”]; or (c) that truth is no respecter of persons as typified in the words of Aristotle: “Plato amicus, magis amica veritas” Plato is my friend, but a greater friend is truth.
But whichever means we do to justify snitches to change governments in the short run, we damage our national character in the long run. That is the reason perhaps why snitches abound in the Arroyo government because the very foundation of the Arroyo government was built on the shifting sands of an Ilocano snitch, overwhelmingly approved by the unthinking throngs of EDSA Dos, including myself, and overtly granted imprimatur by the Papal Nuncio, Cardinal Sin and the justices of the Supreme Court. If a “Witness Academy” now exists, as claimed by Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, its nursery was established in the Senate impeachment court and its kindergarten cultured on the steps of the EDSA Shrine.
We need to establish a more decent method to handle snitches. Turning them from unreliable snitches to decent whistleblowers would be a step in the right direction. Mere affidavits are not enough. Enacting a whistleblower law and protecting them from the vagaries of influence and corruption would go a long way in the credibility of their testimonies. And with a qui tam provision, whistleblowers can be encouraged to curb corruption not only in the highest echelons but in all levels of government.
It is time to put a stop to this charade Senate investigation where the witnesses are paraded either to be insulted or used for political mileage. If we fail to institutionalize the system of whistleblowers, we will reap the whirlwind of false witnesses and earn forever the deserved reputation of a nation of liars, cheaters, and thieves. And I do not intend to live with that.
From Dodong Mahusay, to Sandra Cam, Richard Garcia, Dinky Soliman, Louie Zuce and today, Marlon Mendoza, we have seen various persons testify or willing to testify to alleged covert deceitful government conduct. They have their reasons to turncoat. But never have we seen so many witnesses testify against an administration until this Arroyo government. Even in the Erap era, greed was what compelled Gov. Chavit Singson to turn against his friend but then, he was only one.
I do not wish to talk about the motives of these people because motive is a complex and internal thought process that is hard to prove and pursuing that process is a slippery slope that can lead only to speculations, conjectures, innuendoes, and name-calling, one that the self-righteous madam, Sandra Cam, seems to be revel in nowadays.
I am curious to know why our society tolerates and even encourages snitches. Is it because we despise the president and her spouse so much that we will believe any person who has some ill thing to say against this government? Is it because the snitches’ sponsors are men of good will like the good bishop Oscar Cruz whose only benchmark for truth is for the snitch to execute an affidavit and which can easily be recanted? Is it because evidences of malfeasance against the government are so difficult to come by that we treat a snitch’s word as gospel truth? Or is it because they are simply telling the truth?
And if this is the measure by which we intend to bring down any government, what does it say about the hierarchy of virtues which we esteem? (a) that it is justified to turn against your friend if you have lost faith in her as in the case of Dinky Soliman? [This seems to be a perverse application of the doctrine of justification by faith]; or (b) that my loyalty to the country begins where my loyalty to my president ends? [How many political hacks cloaked themselves as Manuel L. Quezon wanna-bes? Which much to the consternation of his grandson, Manolo, would paraphrase U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen and say to the wanna-be: “Senator, I knew Manuel L. Quezon. He was my grandfather. You’re no Manuel L. Quezon.”]; or (c) that truth is no respecter of persons as typified in the words of Aristotle: “Plato amicus, magis amica veritas” Plato is my friend, but a greater friend is truth.
But whichever means we do to justify snitches to change governments in the short run, we damage our national character in the long run. That is the reason perhaps why snitches abound in the Arroyo government because the very foundation of the Arroyo government was built on the shifting sands of an Ilocano snitch, overwhelmingly approved by the unthinking throngs of EDSA Dos, including myself, and overtly granted imprimatur by the Papal Nuncio, Cardinal Sin and the justices of the Supreme Court. If a “Witness Academy” now exists, as claimed by Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, its nursery was established in the Senate impeachment court and its kindergarten cultured on the steps of the EDSA Shrine.
We need to establish a more decent method to handle snitches. Turning them from unreliable snitches to decent whistleblowers would be a step in the right direction. Mere affidavits are not enough. Enacting a whistleblower law and protecting them from the vagaries of influence and corruption would go a long way in the credibility of their testimonies. And with a qui tam provision, whistleblowers can be encouraged to curb corruption not only in the highest echelons but in all levels of government.
It is time to put a stop to this charade Senate investigation where the witnesses are paraded either to be insulted or used for political mileage. If we fail to institutionalize the system of whistleblowers, we will reap the whirlwind of false witnesses and earn forever the deserved reputation of a nation of liars, cheaters, and thieves. And I do not intend to live with that.
posted by Edwin Lacierda | 3:25 AM
1 Comments:
look to zuce - i always think he is a clone of Erap. I doubt him. His obese body is a reflection that he is also a bum - depending on jueteng giveaways.
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