Quick absolution for allies
- Written by Ninez Cacho-Olivares
- Monday, 14 October 2013 00:00
Environment
Secretary Ramon Paje, whose office has spent a staggering amount of
some P22 million for meals served during conferences and even ordinary
meetings and where funds were taken from projects that had suffered as a
result, was reported by the Commission on Audit (CoA), which said this
was an over expense of the DENR by 3,037 percent.
Based on the report, four and five-course lunches are being served during conferences worth between P550 and P600 per head. This amount is aside from snacks served at P120 to P174 per person.
The abuses noted in the audit report were the practice of providing breakfast even if meetings started at 9 a.m., morning snacks and lunch were served even for conferences that started beyond 12 noon and giving out full meals or snacks even for “routine/ordinary meetings that last for just an hour or two.”
Moreover, it was also found that his agency had a lot of the legislators’ pork barrel diverted to bogus non-government organizations (NGOs).
Through all these accusations, along with calls from his agency’s employees for him to step down, Noynoy has cleared him, which he usually does when it comes to his people.
Even in the face of evidence of clear abuse and misuse of public funds, along with his office having made questionable transactions with NGOs, Noynoy has refused to let go of him, just as he refuses to let go of his Budget secretary, Butch Abad, and other executives whom he has appointed, as he absolves them all from any abuse and misuse of public funds, even in the face of evidence and admissions from them.
Yet it is clear, in the case Paje, through his admission, not to mention the fact that the public funds spent on ultra-expensive food for meetings and conferences — as much as five meals everytime, that his agency has been engaged in dealing with dubious NGOs, that pocket the pork funds of legislators — that he and his agency can’t be treading the so-called straight path even when they try to project themselves as “righteous” and “clean.”
And that’s hardly just where misuse and abuse in the agency committed can be found. The DENR as a department, has always been known to have a lot of corrupt practices — whether on giving environmental clearances or even in mulcting “fines” from several big corporations and other corrupt practices.
What is it that Noynoy’s aides — who have already been reported by a state audit to have had anomalous practices — have on Noynoy that he has to always absolve them, even in the face of prima facie evidence against them?
In the case of his non-allies, however, even when the so-called evidence is flimsy, Noynoy quickly deems them guilty, yet when it comes to his secretaries and allies, he quickly absolves them.
Surely they must have something on Noynoy, for him to quickly absolve his aides who stand accused, and whom the employees of such agencies call for their resignations, such as Paje, SSS chief Emilio de Quiros and Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System’s Gerardo Esquivel, and not to forget, Butch Abad, who certainly has committed a lot of irregularities and violations of the law and the Constitution. All of them have been absolved of any irregularity by Noynoy and his Palace.
Noynoy was a congressmen for nine years before he joined the Senate. He certainly knew all these people and their “irregular” ways as many of them who are now his officials, were also once congressmen and part of his gang.
Noynoy also had his pork barrel, and it is not unlikely that his pork also went to dubious NGOs and ghost projects, although he is being protected by the CoA and his Budget secretary, which is why there is no CoA audit on his pork barrel.
Maybe people like Abad, Paje and a host of other executives under him today know too much, which could be the reason Noynoy quickly absolves them.
Based on the report, four and five-course lunches are being served during conferences worth between P550 and P600 per head. This amount is aside from snacks served at P120 to P174 per person.
The abuses noted in the audit report were the practice of providing breakfast even if meetings started at 9 a.m., morning snacks and lunch were served even for conferences that started beyond 12 noon and giving out full meals or snacks even for “routine/ordinary meetings that last for just an hour or two.”
Moreover, it was also found that his agency had a lot of the legislators’ pork barrel diverted to bogus non-government organizations (NGOs).
Through all these accusations, along with calls from his agency’s employees for him to step down, Noynoy has cleared him, which he usually does when it comes to his people.
Even in the face of evidence of clear abuse and misuse of public funds, along with his office having made questionable transactions with NGOs, Noynoy has refused to let go of him, just as he refuses to let go of his Budget secretary, Butch Abad, and other executives whom he has appointed, as he absolves them all from any abuse and misuse of public funds, even in the face of evidence and admissions from them.
Yet it is clear, in the case Paje, through his admission, not to mention the fact that the public funds spent on ultra-expensive food for meetings and conferences — as much as five meals everytime, that his agency has been engaged in dealing with dubious NGOs, that pocket the pork funds of legislators — that he and his agency can’t be treading the so-called straight path even when they try to project themselves as “righteous” and “clean.”
And that’s hardly just where misuse and abuse in the agency committed can be found. The DENR as a department, has always been known to have a lot of corrupt practices — whether on giving environmental clearances or even in mulcting “fines” from several big corporations and other corrupt practices.
What is it that Noynoy’s aides — who have already been reported by a state audit to have had anomalous practices — have on Noynoy that he has to always absolve them, even in the face of prima facie evidence against them?
In the case of his non-allies, however, even when the so-called evidence is flimsy, Noynoy quickly deems them guilty, yet when it comes to his secretaries and allies, he quickly absolves them.
Surely they must have something on Noynoy, for him to quickly absolve his aides who stand accused, and whom the employees of such agencies call for their resignations, such as Paje, SSS chief Emilio de Quiros and Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System’s Gerardo Esquivel, and not to forget, Butch Abad, who certainly has committed a lot of irregularities and violations of the law and the Constitution. All of them have been absolved of any irregularity by Noynoy and his Palace.
Noynoy was a congressmen for nine years before he joined the Senate. He certainly knew all these people and their “irregular” ways as many of them who are now his officials, were also once congressmen and part of his gang.
Noynoy also had his pork barrel, and it is not unlikely that his pork also went to dubious NGOs and ghost projects, although he is being protected by the CoA and his Budget secretary, which is why there is no CoA audit on his pork barrel.
Maybe people like Abad, Paje and a host of other executives under him today know too much, which could be the reason Noynoy quickly absolves them.
