Requests for share of Palace cash swamp Bulacan gov
By Arlyn dela Cruz
Inquirer
Last updated 01:22am (Mla time) 10/17/2007
MANILA, Philippines – It was not unusual to see many people lining up in the different offices of the Bulacan Provincial Capitol especially on a Monday, which is also a session day where most of the elected board members are present. But last Monday, Oct. 15 was extraordinary, according to Bulacan board member Ramon Posadas.
That day, the visitors came early, and almost all of them were barangay captains coming from the more than 500 barangays of one of the most populated provinces in the country.
Heard news
“The barangay captains were there because of what they heard from the news that Malacañang allegedly gave cash to governors,” Posadas told the Inquirer. “Umaapaw ng kapitan ang kapitolyo noong Lunes.”
A provincial employee also observed that some of the barangay captains were even carrying a copy of the Inquirer Sunday edition where the banner headline was the controversial revelation of Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio that he received half a million peso in crisp P1,000-bills inside a brown bag after attending a meeting in Malacañang on Oct. 11.
Later that day, Bulacan Gov. Joselito “Jonjon” Mendoza would support the statement of Panlilio, admitting that he too received P500,000-cash from an unidentified woman in Malacañang.
Captains’ turn
“Even before the governor spoke, the barangay captains were already there. It’s their turn to ask for help from Capitol officials whom they have helped,” Posadas said, interpreting the presence of the barangay captains at the provincial capitol.
While Posadas agreed that there were ethical and moral questions involved in the act of giving money to barangay leaders, he too explained that this was “part of local politics that all local officials deal with.”
Some barangay captains could be very blunt in demanding for financial assistance from their governors and Posadas said he was certain this was also true for other provinces.
The Bulacan board member also said the fact that the political debt was just last May, it was even easier for barangay leaders to demand that their local leaders help them in their respective campaigns for the barangay elections on Oct. 29.
Justification
Cavite Gov. Ireneo “Ayong” Maliksi said he did not receive any cash from any Malacañang official after attending last Thursday’s meeting, but said he would accept it and would not hesitate to use it for projects for the barangay, which, he said, has a lot of needs.
“All the local leaders would be approached by barangay officials, whether allies or not, since they have no one else to go to. So, it is impossible for us not to take care of them since they are the ones we depend on to help us not only during elections, but also when the local official is already installed.”
Some barangay leaders would even look for their governors outside of the capitol building just to seek help, Maliksi said, adding that this was how it is in local politics.
He said he would not look at the money as a bribe, first, because he did not hear anything and secondly, he did not receive anything as he left early. But if there was money given, he would look at it as help from the president. However, he said he would ask what the money was for and not just accept it.
No take
But at the Bulacan provincial capitol, while the story on the cash donation from Malacañang was received as a breaker worthy of laughter and light moments among local officials, it also led to serious questions as to the real state of politics in the country.
A lawyer by profession, Posadas said, aside from moral and ethical issues, it is also against the law to give money during election period. “Mag-solicit nga bawal (Even soliciting is prohibited).”
Posadas added that what he viewed was the saddest part of this controversy was that the act of handing out money, with or without any explicit condition, came from the symbol of the highest power in the land—Malacañang. “Kung ganun ang tingin ng mga nasa Malacañang sa mga lokal na opisyal na lang na nakaupo, hindi ba parang may mali na talaga sa values natin ngayon? Hindi ba ito ang dapat na pagtibayin nating muli? Yung values ng mga Filipino?” (If that is what the Malacañang residents view local officials, is there something wrong with our values today? Isn’t this what we have to renew—Filipino values?)
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