Skip to main content

Swindler’s list


NOW THE shoe is on the other foot.

After executing a tell-all affidavit complete with the list of names of those supposedly involved in the pork barrel scam, Janet Lim Napoles have seemed to have taken the chair from under those lawmakers investigating the scam. Now, everyone—well, mostly everyone—is now being accused of involvement in the scam. How this saga degenerated into a battle of “lists” is a source of amazement. And we cannot help but wonder if this is the work of savvy and cunning individuals to confuse the public and put doubts on the integrity of those investigating the scam.

The problem with the situation now is Ms. Napoles seems to have taken the front seat in the issue. Now it seems, it is her who has become credible and trustworthy. She now even has the gall to ask for immunity for her to “tell all”. And as it all pans out, we now no longer need to wonder how Ms. Napoles almost got away with the scam—with ruthless cunning and the uncanny ability to turn the tables on those who are going after her.

With her new “expanded” list and with her claim that she is not the mastermind of the pork barrel scam, Ms. Napoles now seems to be calling the shots—the same way she was calling the shots in her alleged merry way of fleecing taxpayers’ money for her and her family’s lavish lifestyle. She has managed to put those who are probing her under the spotlight; thrusting them into a path of doubts and double standards.

But as in any other graft and corruption cases, there should be a paper trail which the investigators need to follow to really get to the truth of what really happened and who are really involved. Yet in this day and age of social media, Ms. Napoles’ “list” has indeed managed to muddle the issue and throw the proverbial monkey wrench into the investigation.

Her claim of Budget Sec. Florencio “Butch” Abad as her mentor has also wrong-footed the  Aquino administration as it casts profound doubts on whether they were really sincere in their “tuwid na daan” motto or are just trying to cover up for their own people.

Whatever happens now, we are nowhere near the resolution of this issue. As it is, it has set the probers farther away from the truth. Yet this should not stop all of us from demanding the truth. Neither should we be hoodwinked into letting Ms. Napoles off the hook with her obfuscation of the issue just to save her skin.


As a once popular TV series said: “The truth is out there.” And we only need to find it to get to the bottom of the issue and to give Ms. Napoles and whoever really were with her in this scam their just dessert.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Free dormitories eyed for Nueva Era students in LC, Batac

 Nueva Era mayor Aldrin Garvida By Dominic B. dela Cruz ( Staff Reporter) Nueva Era , Ilocos Norte—The municipal government here, headed by Nueva Era mayor Aldrin Garvida is planning to establish dormitories in the cities of Laoag and Batac that will exclusively cater to college students from the said cities. “Sapay la kuma ta maituloyen iti mabiit tay ar-arapaapen tayo ken iti munisipyo a maipatakderan kuma dagiti annak tayo a college students nga agbasbasa idiay siyudad iti Batac ken Laoag iti libre a dormitoryo a bukod da ngem inggana nga awan pay ket an-anusan mi paylaeng nga ibaklay kenni apo bise mayor iti pagbayad da iti kasera aggapu iti bukod mi a suweldo malaksid dagitay it-ited iti munisipyo ken iti barangay nga stipend da kada semester, ” Garvida said.    Garvida added that the proposed establishment of dormitories would be a big help to the students’ parents as this would shoulder the expenses of their children for rent and likewise they would feel more secured

Empanada festival: A celebration of good taste and good life

By Dominic B. dela Cruz & Leilanie G. Adriano Staff reporters BATAC CITY—If there is one thing Batac is truly proud of, it would be its famous empanada-making business that has nurtured its people over the years. Embracing a century-old culture and culinary tradition, Batac’s empanada claims to be the best and tastiest in the country with its distinctive Ilokano taste courtesy of its local ingredients: fresh grated papaya, mongo, chopped longganisa, and egg. The crispy orange wrapper and is made of rice flour that is deep-fried. The celebration of this city’s famous traditional fast food attracting locals and tourists elsewhere comes with the City Charter Day of Batac every 23 rd  of June. Every year, the City Government of Batac led by Mayor Jeffrey Jubal Nalupta commemorate the city’s charter day celebration to further promote its famous One-Town, One Product, the Batac empanada. Empanada City The Batac empanada festival has already become an annua

P29 per kilo rice sold to vulnerable groups in Ilocos region

BBM RICE. Residents buy rice for only PHP29 per kilo at the NIA compound in San Nicolas town, Ilocos Norte province on Sept. 13, 2024. The activity was under a nationwide pilot program of the government to sell quality and affordable rice initially to the vulnerable sectors. (Lei Adriano) San Nicolas , Ilocos Norte —Senior citizens, persons with disability, and solo parents availed of cheap rice sold at PHP29 per kilogram during the grand launching of the Bagong Bayaning Magsasaka (BBM) Rice held at the National Irrigation Administration compound in San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte province on Sept. 13, 2024. “ Maraming salamat Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. sa inyong pagmamahal sa Region 1 lalong-lalo na sa bayan namin sa San Nicolas,” said Violeta Pasion, a resident Brgy.   18 Bingao in this town. The low-priced grains were sourced from the National Irrigation Administration’s (NIA) contract farming with irrigators' association members in the province. Along with Pasion, Epi