"PNoy may have lost a battle, but he is winning the war against corruption."
-- Sen. Alan Cayetano
PTV News
July 07, 2014, Monday
"Although Malacanang lost the battle, I think they have won the war."
Senate Majority Floor Leader Alan Peter Cayetano said this as he welcomed the recent decision of the Supreme Court declaring specific acts under the President Aquino's Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) unconstitutional.
"Malacanang lost in the sense that mali na na-augment nang walang item sa budget, mali na i-consider ito na savings na hindi pa nagagastos... But it shows that democracy is alive, it shows checks and balances, it shows the respect of the President sa Supreme Court, kaya dapat sundin natin ang desisyon ng Supreme Court," the senator said.
The Chief Executive and Budget Secretary Florencio Abad have earlier defended the controversial initiative, saying it was necessary to fast-track growth in the economy.
This, however, was criticized by SC justices, who pointed out that the cross-border transfer of funds from one government branch to another was not allowed in the Constitution.
Following the high court's decision, several groups have expressed their dismay over the President and the budget chief for implementing the stimulus fund. Some advocates also called for Abad's resignation and for Aquino's impeachment.
But Cayetano believed that instead of considering the decision as a defeat by the current administration, people should look at it as one of Aquino's great achievements insofar as the justice system in the country is concerned.
"The decision shows that the justice system works... Noong panahon ng Arroyo administration, either hindi yan i-take up o patay-malisya lang," he said.
Reacting to calls for an impeachment trial against the President, the Senate leader said Aquino cannot be held culpable for merely adopting what the previous administrations did, adding that the money which was allotted to fund several projects were spent in good faith and were not stolen.
"Iba yung ninakaw mo, iba yung in good faith. Ginawa mo ang akala mong tama, pero sinabi ng Supreme Court, mali ang proseso. Agree ako na mali, agree ako na Kongreso ang dapat mag-appropriate. But disagree ako sa nagpapalabo ng isyu na sinasabing ikulong na ang mga yan dahil hindi naman nila ninakaw ang pera," he said.
"The DAP was an honest mistake on the part of Malacanang because they adopted what the previous administrations did. Some constitutional bodies and other departments also did the same thing. Mauubos ang nasa gobyerno kung tuwing merong unconstitutional, ipapakulong niyo sila, kasi ang illegal, immoral at unconsititutional, magkakaiba yun... Let's be reasonable, let's welcome the decision and implement it fully but let's not go overboard," he added.
----------
No,
PNoy is not yet losing the battle. What is happening now with the
uncovering of the abuses and misuses of PDAF (and DAP?) is that the
Philippines as a nation has finally started fighting corruption in the
main battlefront with the PNoy administration
as its commanding warrior leader. But this administration can quickly
lose in this battlefront if it continues to hold on to the seemingly double standard attitude by being aggressive against non-allied corruption-implicated public officials and individuals while at the same time showing an attitude of
liniency towards friends and allies who are (or may be) implicated in
any form of corruption or major mistake (honest or otherwise). Because
of this attitude of the administration, people's doubts are beginning to
mount, and if these doubts reach a tipping point, this present
administration could lose in this major battlefront, and if it loses
this battleground how can the nation even advance forward to continue
fighting and win the war against corruption?
PNoy is (or maybe) the leader ordained to start and lead a real fight against corruption on its main battlefront. But it will take [a] generation[s] of honest, dedicated, and ever vigilant successors and people to win the war against corruption -- because fighting evil is a perpetual war.
On the deeper aspect: Corruption is evil, and evil's domain is in the spiritual dimension. All the physical means to fight it is just simply so insufficient. The spiritual battleground of corruption is incomparable to its physical battlefront. Thus, in the fight against any works of evil, spiritual warriors and spiritual weapons are even much more necessary in order to combat and subdue evil.
PNoy is (or maybe) the leader ordained to start and lead a real fight against corruption on its main battlefront. But it will take [a] generation[s] of honest, dedicated, and ever vigilant successors and people to win the war against corruption -- because fighting evil is a perpetual war.
On the deeper aspect: Corruption is evil, and evil's domain is in the spiritual dimension. All the physical means to fight it is just simply so insufficient. The spiritual battleground of corruption is incomparable to its physical battlefront. Thus, in the fight against any works of evil, spiritual warriors and spiritual weapons are even much more necessary in order to combat and subdue evil.
