By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
QUEZON CITY — P1.7 trillion were reported lost in just 3 weeks in the Philippine Stocks Exchange (PSE) following the investigations-in-aid of legislation into the anomalous flood control projects worth billions of pesos by both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
In The Agenda at the Tribute Hotel hosted by Atty. Siegfred Mison, Police Col. Mariano “Mar” Santiago (Ret.) said that
personally, what he sees is like an episode of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
He noted the learnings from Dr. Jose Rizal Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
Mariano cited that the PMAAI last year commended and supported the zero tolerance on corruption of President Marcos.
However, the controversy on the 2025 GAA was a big controversy for the PMAAAI.
“I share the same insights in so far as the ICI,” Mariano said.
“We should not only depend on such investigations,” he added.
Mariano noted that the rallies are pushing for different agenda.
He cited that House Speaker Fortunato “Bojie” Dy III has admitted that Congress has failed the people.
Mariano hopes that Congress will pass anti-dynasty law in order to prove their sincerity to the people.
He said that the transfer of the confidential funds by Vice President Sara Duterte is already a violation of the Constitution.
Mariano told PCO Usec. Claire Castro that House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez is the biggest problem of President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.
Before the Sept. 21 Trillion March rally, Mariano said they were supposed to hold a meeting with President Marcos.
He added that Mrs. Yeda Romualdez has already four terms in Congress, but nobody has taken action, stressing that “Our Congress has become dysfunctional.”
Mariano stressed that the mandate of Congress is to slash the budget proposal of the Executive Department, but they did not slash the budget and inserted proposal to the budget proposal.
“Vox populi, vox dei (The voice of the people is the voice of God). But the problem is that only the Comelec has spoken,” Mariano said.
Former House Deputy Speaker Atty. Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III said “we were taken over by events in the Senate in the flood control projects.”
Tañada added “the new Ombudsman Boying Remulla motu proprio can already maybe file a case with the Sandiganbayan and start the investigation into the anomalous flood control projects knowing that he had already started the case build up in the DOJ.”
Tañada thinks that Remulla already has the information, some of them, and he has some idea based on the sworn affidavits executed by the prospective state witnesses in the flood control projects anomalies.
The investigation has stopped in the House, and Tañada hopes that the investigation will continue with the resumption of the session of 20th Congress on Nov. 10.
Tañada stressed that the SALN of government officials should really be made public.
“The real targets are the district engineers and the regional directors of the DPWH,” Tañada said.
“I think the Ombudsman is protected by law and the law says that the SALN of public officials should be publicized and made public,” he said.
“If the distinction is 2022-2025, it’s clear that there was a ‘color’ there,” he added.
During the Senate hearing, contractor Sarah Discaya admitted that they started in the construction industry in 2016.
He cited the filing of the P7.1 billion tax evasion cases against the Discaya spouses, saying that, it could not have been committed for just three years.
On the Nov. 30 rally, Tañada said, the plan of the clergy is to merge the rallies, considering that there is now more time to talk and iron out the kinks.
He added that they are encouraging the “buildup” of noise barrage leading up to the Nov. 30 rally.
April 6, 1978 was the first “noise barrage” before the IBP elections on April 7, 1978. Tañada was then 15 years old but he participated in the noise barrage.
Tañada noted that Speaker Romualdez was in the position when the 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2024 National Budget were passed.
He expressed the hope that Romualdez will also be invited by the ICI.
“Under the Ombudsman Act, he Remulla) motu proprio can initiate an investigation into allegations of corruption,” Tañada said.
He added that it also came out in the Senate hearing that the wife of a COA commissioner was also a government contractor.
Bishop Efraim M. Tendero said that only the Discaya was found with prima facie case.
“If Discaya will tell all, he should really tell all,” Tendero said.
He added that the budget starts in the Executive Department and President Marcos even vetoed P29 billion in the 2025 GAA.
Tendero cited the P10-billion pork barrel scam where only businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles was convicted of graft, corruption and plunder, but no public officials were also convicted.
Tendero said that Pablo Virgilio Cardinal David himself joined the One Trillion March on Sept. 21, whom he quoted as saying “the Church is ready to provide sanctuary if an individual’s life is in danger.”
He added that there is no need for people to converge in one place in the sense that God is omnipresent.
Tendero cited the pronouncement of President in his SONA that the government has completed 5,500 flood control projects, saying “where are they now.”
“Let us entrust, cry, and pray to the Lord. God is not sleeping,” Tendero said.
He added that there are now 25,000 “sumbong” in the Isumbong sa Pangulo website.
Tendero pointed out that they made the One Trillion March a movement, urging everyone to wear white T-shirt on Friday (Oct. 10) and join the noise barrage.###
