The public has written off Janet Lim Napoles. No one sympathizes with her despite her depiction of herself as the victim, Even her offer of returning P2 Billion of the people's money hasn't appeased at all an angry and scandalized nation. 28 years after we got rid of the Marcoses, once again we see the specter of Imelda's excess and wanton plunder of the nation.
While ordinary Filipinos religiously pay their withholding taxes, business permits, licenses and housing loan amortizations, government officials in cohorts with the wife of a military officer plunder the nation, How could they? How dare they? An aghast and angry nation is appalled by the extent of the thievery.
In the past, Filipinos rejoice in the fact that their government is spearheading a paradigm shift in the way we run the affairs of this country, but lately, even the matuwid na daan is cast in a cloud of doubt. The administration's own inconsistency is giving ammunition to the plunderers who have responded: "You too are guilty."
Sen Jinggoy Estrada first exposed Malacanang's pork barrel which Sec Abad only admitted to after his hand was caught in the proverbial cookie jar. How can the government persecute the plunderers when it, too, loses its moral ascendancy to lead the cleansing of the national soul after years of graft and abuse?
There's wisdom as to why Cory never took sides during her term. No matter what Monching Mitra did to woo her to bless his Liberal Democratic Party, Cory never budged from her position. Pnoy has to get his hands off his allies whom people suspect as guilty of wrongdoing. He should set an example. He started a small fire with matuwid na daan. If he's not careful, the conflagration can gobble him whole as well.
