A Heavy Cross for Boboy

Hole of Justice

By Peter G. Jimenea

A Heavy Cross for Boboy

The Commission on Audit (COA) has put additional weight to the heavy cross that Cong. Augusto “Boboy” Syjuco is already carrying over his shoulder. This can put a lowly government employee in the brink of insanity if he is placed in Boboy’s shoes.

 

In a Consolidated Resolution signed on March 08, 2013, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales found probable cause to indict Syjuco and some officers of the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for irregularities in the disbursement of public funds re: Ladderized Education Program of TESDA (LEPTES).

 

COA discovered that the training equipment and testing tools delivered by V.G. Roxas Co. under the LEPTES program particularly LEPTES-02, LEPTES-03 and the Nordic Development Fund (NDFTES), were of low quality and overpriced. Thus, a Violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act or RA 3019.

 

This is injustice for Syjuco because the perceived persecution is in time for the 2013 election. Boboy believes this is the handiwork of his adversaries to compel the Ombudsman and COA, a government watchdog, not only to bark but also to bite him.

 

True, Injustice lies fairly in delayed resolution than erroneous decision that can be appealed immediately. It is widely believed that this untimely filing of cases against Syjuco caused him prolonged anxiety and tied his integrity, assets and properties to media and academic scrutiny.

 

Unfortunately, the state auditors are unfriendly to him. They cited examples of overpriced items such as incubator jar priced at P15,375.00 but has an attached price tag of P149.00 only. Forgotten to untie? Then a hatching bucket valued at P43,750.00 but the price written was P900.00 only.

 

Another is a dough cutter priced at P48,507.46 but the canvassed priced as well as that paid for in previous procurement from another supplier in 2005 was only P120.00 or an overpriced of P48,387.46. COA also reported that P70,962,614.24 out of P133,035,366.24 worth of training materials and testing tools still remain unutilized.

 

As they say, dura lex sed lex - it may be harsh but that is the law. Perhaps Boboy failed to notice that judicial remedies are subject to misuse, over-use and abuse. But he can blame nobody, qui peccat ebrius luat sobrius – he who offends when drunk shall be punished when sober -  you know what that means.

 

Besides, he has no legacy for his constituents to crow about. Unlike US Pres. Bill Clinton, who won his re-election bid despite the White House scandal raised by the “kiss and tell” Monica Lewinsky because of the economic gains of the US under his administration.

 

The Ombudsman doesn’t have to explain anymore. Like BIR Commissioner Kim Henares who denied the purpose of coming here is for the filing of a tax evasion case against UNA candidate for city mayor Rommel Ynion. All motives redound to political persecution as what the earlier claim hinted at.

 

What’s more, if Courts have prerogative to relax procedural rules of even the most mandatory character, why can’t the Ombudsman delay the investigation when it is embodied in the provisions of the Ombudsman Act of 1989? Syjuco is also a beneficiary of this absurd privilege before in the GMA administration.

 

It was only a misfortune that he has lot of adversaries in the administration of Pres. Pinoy. Among those in the ambit of the president circle is Sen. Fanklin M. Drilon. Once, under GMA, Cong. Syjuco can proudly say “pa weather-weather lang yan.” Today, under Pres. Pinoy, “whether he likes it or not!”