Garin lessons: Gov’t positions not worth if you’ll land in jail

By Alex P. Vidal

“There are no regrets in life, just lessons.”—Jennifer Aniston

WHAT happened to Iloilo first district Rep. Janette Loreto-Garin is a good example that even if a political clan will corner all the juicy positions in government owing to the clan’s vast power, influence, resources, name recall, and, perhaps, luck, the positions or “political achievement” are worthless if eventually a clan member in power will rot in jail.

We aren’t saying, of course, that Loreto-Garin, 50, who is facing graft and technical malversation charges together with four others over the Department of Health’s P3.5-billion anti-dengue mass vaccination program during the Aquino administration, will be convicted.

If they are innocent, let’s hope they won’t spend a single day in jail.

Any Filipino public official facing graft charges in the Ombudsman will admit it’s hell to be in this predicament.

Graft cases ruin politicians.

No matter how successful they are, it’s always hard for public servants to bounce back to glory once graft cases have been slapped against them regardless of the outcome.

The presumption from biased public that those facing graft charges are guilty has always been overwhelming and cruel.

Any case or uproar that involves public funds and public safety will always be a mortal sin.

So even if Loreto-Garin, et al are still presumed innocent until proven otherwise, there are people who think the review panel tasked by Ombudsman Samuel Martires to initiate the filing of cases was correct.

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The Garins are, perhaps, among the luckiest political clans in the Philippines second to the Marcoses.

Even if their patriarch, Oscar “Oca” Garin Sr. is no longer around (God bless his soul), almost all members of his family are now well-placed and holding high positions in government.

So even if all the Garins are holding elective positions locally (the mayors in Guimbal, San Joaquin, Miag-ao; and Iloilo vice governor are members of the formidable Garin clan) and nationally (Loreto-Garin and another clan member as Department of Energy undersecretary), it’s not a guarantee of “political success” and peace of mind (the most important of all).

Peace of mind means none of the clan members in power is facing graft charges and won’t be in danger of landing in the calaboose for graft and corruption.

Political success means they are all able to serve the public and retire with flying colors, or without being defeated in the election or dismissed from office for irregularities or scandal involving misuse of public funds or abused of authority.

What will it profit a political clan to dominate the races and reign supreme unmolested in politics—and create a spectacular legacy in public service as a result—if one of the prominent members will eventually fall in disgrace, or land in jail?

The Ombudsman panel’s resolution, by the way, showed that P3.5-billion Dengvaxia vaccination had placed a large number of public school students “at considerable health risks as there were still pending issues on the safety and efficacy of the Dengvaxia vaccines, thereby causing undue injury to the government in billions of public funds.”

Loreto-Garin, et al deserve their day in court.

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TO YE ALL WHO LIVED TO TELL THE TALE… (Written by Ambassador Leo Tito Ausan Jr., a former practicing lawyer, professor, columnist, chess player in Iloilo City)

Our applause and commendations as well as love!

Indeed you’re sent by the Father from heaven above.

To this day against all odds you doggedly live on bravely and strong.

So that your story can be shared & retold on &

on…

By honoring  our country & her heroes to this day,

From you, we & our children shall learn & Our goosebumps & patriotism shall thrive,

long after today.

Inspiration from ye we shall draw,

To face life’s rigors that confront us anew.

To those of you, whom we are still with today

Keep on, even if some of you have already fallen away,

Your tales’ lessons, we’ve clearly & loudly heard,

And forever in our hearts these shall be preserved.

So that Your LIVING TO TELL THE TALE

SHALL NOT BE PUT TO NAUGHT,

ITS LESSONS OF LOVE & PATRIOTISM

SHALL FOREVER BE TAUGHT!!!

In the same manner that Andres Bonifacio’s Cry in

Balintawak still rings loud in our ears until today

Your ideals shall for long persist to be our

Guideposts like sunrays peeking from heaven through a cloudcast day.

MABUHAY!!…

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two daily newspapers in Iloilo.—Ed)