Crooks are always crooks

By Modesto P. Sa-onoy

Since the other week we had been receiving news of barangay officials in Bacolod and other parts of the country who are making money out of the pandemic while politicians had started their 2022 campaign since last April using public funds. The pandemic has become a gold mine for the crooks and a satanic shower for the wicked politicians. The greed of these two kinds of characters know no bounds nor circumstance when people are crying out for help.

President Duterte knew about this and he was visibly angry at these opportunists. The news last week said that the Department of the Interior and Local Government had identified an initial 183 barangay officials who will be investigated and charged in connection with the distribution of emergency cash assistance under the government’s Social Amelioration Program that was intended to help the poor who could not work because of the quarantine.

The DILG said these barangay officials are being questioned for discrepancies in the disbursement of cash assistance in their jurisdictions. The PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group is spearheading the probe.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año credited President Duterte’s announcement of a P30,000 reward for anyone who could identify officials involved in irregularities in the aid. It contributed to the deluge of complaints regarding questionable SAP disbursements.

The DILG has not revealed details about the barangay officials including their names, but authorities said they have established probable cause to charge them with criminal cases.

We have cases in Bacolod and the barangays had been identified. Earlier on we heard that in Barangay Felisa the barangay officials were slicing P1,000 from the P6,000 ostensibly to help others who were not in their list. When asked where the list is, there was silence. There were ghost beneficiaries.

Some radio commentaries even talk of P2,000 shaving and beneficiaries made to sign a receipt without the money to “expedite” distribution “when the money arrives.”

Now the news confirmed that the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Bacolod is investigating 10 barangays of Bacolod City for alleged irregularities in the distribution of the SAP cash grants. This was revealed by Chief Master Sgt. Ramiro Gocotano, CIDG-Bacolod head.

The CIDG said that as of this week, 22 individuals have already filed complaints before the CIDG-Bacolod against barangay officials and personnel over the SAP distribution. More complaints are expected because of the P30,000 bounty for the apprehension of the crooks.

CIDG has identified the barangays with SAP complaints: Felisa, Handumanan, Mandalagan, Mansilingan, Bata, Alangilan, Granada, Sum-ag, 1 and 34. Last Friday, I heard on radio that Tangub is included. There will be more if the ones who complained in the air make their charges before the CIDG.

The first one to be publicly charged on radio is Barangay Felisa. Now charges for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act are being readied for filing against the barangay officials and staff of Felisa, after seven complainants gathered evidence and documents to support the filing of the case, CIDG said.

Other complaints are still being investigated. We can expect more and if the Bacolod City Legal Office performs its duty in its investigation and if the rabid followers of the mayor were included, more barangay officials will be indicted.

I wonder though whether this parallel investigation will dilute the issue. I believe that if the city government is sincere, it should leave or assist the CIDG rather than conduct its own that can be suspected of being partisan – to deflect the charges against favored barangay officials.

The barangay officials of Felisa, including the wife of the barangay chief for instance are close associates of the mayor. An exoneration by the City Legal Officer will not be taken lightly by the public. Only a guilty finding will appease public anger and that would also be unfair to the barangay officials.

The same goes true with the other barangays. The CIDG and the DILG would be less prone to political pressure than the CLO. This is not a distrust of the integrity of the CLO but a warning that their finding of innocence will be considered a whitewash and generate a backlash.

These are unusual times, but crooks are always crooks who see opportunity to fleece other’s misery. And these crooks are government officials.

Let us continue tomorrow.