By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
QUEZON CITY — Former Senator Nikki Coseteng and Prof. Roland Simbulan on Thursday (Sept. 11) both said that the alleged anomalous flood control projects could not have happened if the institutions and the legal processes function well.
At the Pandesal Forum at Kamuning Bakery hosted by Rod Cornejo, former Senator Nikki Coseteng, activist, politics analyst, and educator, said that it’s been a while that we were deluged with hours and hours of hearings both in the House and the Senate about the alleged anomalous.
The House of Representatives, the Congress, Malacanang and even the Media is a partner if the processes fail or succeed.
“The institution must be saved. People come and go over time, but institution must be preserved,” Coseteng said.
“I say this because I came from both the House of Representatives and the Senate,” she added.
“I don’t like this institution to be burned like in Nepa,” Coseteng said.
The people are already angry, they are hungry. Where are they be going to? Who will return.
Justice must be served. It’s not the matter whether Duterte or not. Many things will still to come.
“These are all symptoms. Like out have a cancer and the headache does not mean it has destroyed your kidney,” Coseteng said.
She cited what’s the penalty on pickpocket, cellphone snatcher or those who got kickbacks in the millions, billions or even trillions in pesos, but sadly, only the pickpocket will be jailed.
“Let’s see to it that the real process will be undertaken and the culprits if proven true, they should also be prepared on the corresponding punishment. Don’t get angry. Don’t express expletives on the resource persons,” Coseteng said.
“If it’s true that the loan lenders would not lend us foreign loans, because of the corruption, it’s very hard for me. I couldn’t really take it,” she added.
Coseteng stressed that both the Senate and the House cannot convict any suspect as they should only conduct investigations-in-aid of legislation in order to craft legislative measures.
The suspects will be sued in the court. They will have their day to defend themselves in the court.
“The change in the leadership of the Senate is just like ‘aspirin’,” she said, adding that, it was to have reforms in the Senate.
“Eventually, the issue on graft and corruption will be lost as it may end on Duterte. There might be other people behind who are conducting behind the scene. There are many factors that are taking place. It’s not about sympathy, otherwise, there may be no law anymore,” Coseteng said.
Coseteng herself had known about the DPWH, BIR, DOH, OP and even the Housing Office.
She cited that some people are saying that the taxes of the people are just being wasted in the casinos, which for her is very disheartening.
She noted that the Witness Protection Program should not be used so that the most guilty individuals will not be jailed.
She said that all the agencies of government have their own respective resident Commission on Audit (COA), who are the guardians of public funds.
“The ‘word war’ between and among the lawmakers and the resource persons should not be resorted to. There should be a ‘decorum’ for all public officials,” Coseteng said.
Coseteng cited the Independent Commission created by President Joseph “Erap” Ejercito Esrada wherein the report of Sen. Renato Saguisag would like to indict on the Centennial Scam President Fidel V. Ramos and Sen. Franklin Drilon who recommended to her that Hubert Guevarra, who recently passed away, nobody from the Independent Commission would like to sign.
Saguisag made a second report, without indicting Ramos. According to Coseteng, one of the witnesses in the Centennial Scam was killed in Tagaytay City.
The other exposes of Coseteng were about Hilarion Ramiro, Housing scam, Karina David was the housing czar of Erap, about P42 billion, P23 billion was involved then Rep. Manny Villar in the housing scam, she authored the privilege speech in the House.
There were 12 contractors involved in the housing scam, but this institutional process now that is being followed. The result was Erap was removed at the start of that year. The appointing power then was not anymore Erap.
The whistleblower and the provider of the information, he was banned from entering the premises of the Senate and his name was Chito Roque. Up until now, Coseteng had not said anything about the exposes were untrue.
Coseteng was prompted to share her exposes because of what is happening nowadays. She cited the Northrail Project. What is the average age of the reviewer of the bids, was only 17 years old, who are from the Office of the President.
“What we are talking about now is not only now. It is only very telling and glaring today in the billions of pesos,” she said.
“There’s always a first time. I don’t want to lose hope. It’s affecting me really. I don’t want Senate to be called ‘kenkoy’. I’m not happy. I’m not comfortable people calling them ‘kenkoy’. I’m serious,” Coseteng said.
“Talking about scam, this is not new, but we have the chance to change what has happened before,” she added.
“The government deserves respect if all of these end to its rightful conclusion,” Coseteng said.
“I hope the people with the mandate will also be enlightened,” she added.
She cited that during her time in the House and the Senate, with one term in the House and two terms in the Senate, all the investigations-in-aid of legislation went perfectly well.
“That’s the problem, the situation gets worse before it gets better,” she said.
“It’s also difficult to choose leaders during election because the choices are limited,” Coseteng said, adding that “the people sometimes have no more choice because of the expensive election.”
Prof. Roland Simbulan, Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG) Chairman, former University of the Philippines (U.P.) Faculty Regent, Politics & Geopolitics expert, Book author, said that these institutions are the institutions created by the Constitution.
“If there are violations, these institutions will be punished according to the Constitution,” Simbulan said.
He cited the case of South Korea, whose former President declared Martial Law, but he was found guilty and was sentenced by the Constitutional Court of South Korea.
“The problem is that these institutions do not seem to follow the laws, much more the Constitution. They are being violated, including the laws of public trust,” Simbulan said.
“The procedure that is in the law, that is in the Constitution, we mangle them. Had that procedure been followed, it could have been the chance for the Vice President. However, it was not done,” he added.
He cited the pending case of crimes against humanity in the ICC against former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte. ”It could not have reached the ICC, if our processes operate,” he said.
The victims had to seek another way to seek justice. The reason why they filed the case with the ICC.
“If our Constitution and our processes are functioning, we don’t need to seek justice in the ICC,” Simbulan said.
The ill-gotten wealth were alleged used to block those victims of Martial Law, some of which are Filipino-Americans, who were able to secure compensation.
“We should not have sought redress in a foreign court, if our institutions and the legal processes are functioning,” he said.
He cited that the recent scandal does not only involve the contractors. “If the Legislative and the Executive offices are functioning well, and the leadership should provide example without fear or favor, without favoritism, they (corrupt) will really be frightened,” he said.
“I’m really in favor of death penalty. It’s about time to reimpose death penalty, especially on plunder case,” he added.
“What is the law should be followed. No one should be spared,” Simbulan said.
“Let’s remember that the real issue here is transparency and accountability, not the Marcoses and the Dutertes, the guilty should be punished,” he added.
He noted that most of the issues on graft and corruption involve government projects in the millions or billions of pesos.
“Through these legal processes, you will have the chance to defend yourself and prove your innocence,” he said.
The Independent Commission should investigate the anomalous flood control projects, saying that the DPWH investigating itself “it’s like mafia investigating itself.”
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Thursday signed Executive Order 32 creating the Independent Commission to investigate the alleged anomalous ghost flood control projects.
“Freedom of the press and of expression is the ‘oxygen’ of our democracy,” he said.
He noted that the fund for the Centennial Scam was supposed to spend for the celebration of the 100th Independence Day of the Philippines.
“We must make sure that the people we elect should not be mired. There is a convergence of political to further enrich themselves or protect their interest because they want to protect their business through legislation, through roads that are being built. The work of government is to check these big businesses,” Simbulan said.
“Many of our elected leaders seem to have no more ‘delicadeza’. They are already rich and yet they have private interest of their family,” he added.
“Instead of protecting the public interest, they are protecting their family interest,” Simbulan said.
“I would encourage developing more genuine political parties. There are party-lists who are contractors themselves and if they win, they will have ‘insertions’ for their respective own projects,” he added.
“The filing of plunder cases against DPWH officials and contractors is necessary because the Office of the Ombudsman is a special court that prosecute corrupt government officials and private individuals,” Simbulan said.
He announced that there will be an indignation rally on Sept, 21, 2025 because of what is happening about the alleged anomalous flood control projects.
“There is a public perception that the government is covering up on the alleged anomalous flood control projects,” Simbulan said.###
