EDITORIAL : THE DAILY TRIBUNE, THE PHILIPPINES

 

Where is transparency here?

Transparency was Noynoy’s litany when he was seeking the public’s vote for the presidency; a promise which now appears to be an ordeal as he, through his Palace mouthpieces, have rejected proposals in the House to probe those who are classified within the so-called KKKs (Kaibigan, Kaklase and Kabarilan), or presidential cronies, classmates and shooting range buddies.

The Palace’s rejection of course reverberated among the House of Representatives’ allies of Noynoy and the proposed probe, by all indications, will not likely prosper.

But why is his ally, Deputy Speaker Erin Tañada, already concluding that the President is the focus of the probe, when the probe has not even started. And why, if there is nothing to fear about their claimed “honest” and “transparent” President who they claim rules without fear and favor, are these Noynoy allies fearing such a probe, to the point of already covering up for him and his aides?

Noynoy, however, is making the same mistake that made the past administration one of the most unpopular ever.

That was almost the similar problem that led to the build-up of public discontent in the past administration, which was by way of throwing roadblocks into investigations on improprieties which convinced more people that the allegations of corruption and other irregularities against it were indeed true.

Noynoy’s House allies also gave the same reason cited in the past to reject inquiries into former President Arroyo and her minions, that these functions of Congress would have been exploited for political grandstanding.

The Palace has recycled such reasoning into a cruder form accusing the House minority outright that it plans to use the proceeding for political mudslinging.

Noynoy’s House allies, likewise, argued that key Cabinet personalities who would have been subjected to the probe have already hurdled the confirmation proceedings at the Commission on Appointments and thus the investigations into allegations of improprieties would have been mooted.

The point, however, is that certain questions on Noynoy’s allies needed resolving and a thorough inquiry into allegations that Noynoy had turned the Palace into an Old Boys’ Club need answering.

If only the bring home the point, the allegation in the past administration was the nurturing of the crony system in the government, primarily in the bidding out of contracts.

The circle from which Noynoy is picking out to fill government positions is much smaller than the group shared between Gloria and her spouse Big Mike in the past administration, putting into question the capability of those being posted in government.

On those already seated, allegations about Noynoy giving them absolute protection fly thick and fast.

It was Noynoy and his subalterns who relied heavily on public opinion to help in pressuring so-called remnants of the crooked past, as opposed to his claimed straight path, to vacate their posts.

Up to now, the same tactic of employing drummed up and unproven allegations that Gloria’s appointees are all prone to corruption or are in place to protect her are being used against mainly members of the judiciary.

A presidential spokesman even referred to the Supreme Court as being Arroyo’s court, reflecting efforts to ease out the Chief Justice and all those perceived not friendly to Noynoy. Fortunately there is such a thing as separation of powers among co-equal branches of government that prevents the executive from enforcing its will on the judiciary and vice versa. Although the same cannot be said of the House.

Also the justices are provided fixed terms under the Constitution.

Now the build-up of public opinion is stacking up against his so-called KKKs and suddenly Noynoy and his allies are crying character assassination.

Whatever Noynoy calls it, the House investigation only complies with his call for transparency.

Transparency can’t be selective.