Janette Come Lately

By Alex P. Vidal

“It behooves every man to remember that the work of the critic is of altogether secondary importance, and that, in the end, progress is accomplished by the man who does things.”—Theodore Roosevelt

BECAUSE of her no-holds-barred criticism of the Duterte father and daughter, feisty Iloilo 1st district Representative Janette Loreto-Garin has been getting a lot of attention in the national media—and brickbats from detractors—these past weeks.

Critics scored Loreto-Garin’s “aggressiveness” and “political grandstanding” for defending President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his administration against the belligerent Dutertes.

We don’t entirely agree that Loreto-Garin has been engaging in “political grandstanding.” If she did, the Iloilo solon has all the right to do so.

Let’s say she is just being consistent with the values she stands for and her loyalty to President Marcos Jr. who is personal friend of the Loretos (her parents) in Leyte since time immemorial.

Loreto-Garin’s “aggressiveness” (in criticizing the Duterte father and daughter and defending Mr. Marcos Jr.) may have something to do with a desire to correct a wrong, which was an uphill task during the Duterte hegemony.

Loreto-Garin must be thinking she now has the leverage to tell the Dutertes “hey, listen to the wind of change. You no longer own the pistol; therefore, you have no more power to pull the trigger.”

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Also, it could be her own way of lashing back at the Duterte administration for giving her a Sandiganbayan case. Garin had served as health secretary during the administration of the late former President Benigno “Noynoy Aquino III.

She must have thought now is the right time to actively assume the role as “fiscalizer” and, in one way or the other, “even the score” with the past administration.

Loreto-Garin did not have a walk in the park during the Duterte regime. The Office of the Ombudsman indicted Loreto-Garin and four other former health officials for graft and technical malversation in connection with the allegedly anomalous purchase of P3.5 billion worth of Dengvaxia vaccines in 2015.

Samuel Martires, a Duterte appointed ombudsman, and his investigators had filed charges against Loreto-Garin and four other officials at the Sandiganbayan in connection with the procurement of vaccines for the dengue immunization program under Mr. Aquino III. It came under scrutiny especially during the succeeding administration, under Mr. Duterte, following the death of several children who were inoculated with Dengvaxia.

The House deputy majority leader recently minced no words when she blamed the administration of former President Rodrigo “Digong” Roa Duterte for the proliferation of Chinese criminals and criminal syndicates in the Philippines.

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Loreto-Garin had also sided with Senator Risa Hontiveros when the senator had a spat with the daughter Duterte during the tension-filled budget hearing for the Office of the Vice President.

“When we have budget briefings and budget deliberations, you look at each line item. Was this used for office supplies? This one for travel? This one for employees? But the discussion segued to other issues that were not within the bounds of what was discussed. So, it was a correct question answered in the wrong way and it mushroomed into many more misunderstandings,” Garin told reporters at the Batasang Pambansa complex.

The lady solon from Guimbal, Iloilo, added: “Maybe there’s malice; someone must have whispered things. That’s why VP Sara felt the issues were too personal. That’s why as government officials, it’s really very important for us to be wary about the sulsuleras and mga marites (gossipers) because these are good to accept and let go if wrong because they will also have their own vested interest. In this case, maybe before she arrived, there were already rumors; that’s why she thinks all questions are politicized.”

In her criticism of the father Duterte, Loreto-Garin boomed: “Alam na naman ng buong mundo na banned at mortal sin at talagang kinukulong at ‘yung iba nga eh talagang fina-firing squad sa China and mga involved sa POGO. So, why was this allowed in our country? Bakit ni-legitimized dito sa Pilipinas, parang binuksan…What happened in the previous administration ay buksan ‘yung bansang Pilipinas para papasukin ‘yung mg wanted naman at illegal sa China.”

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The Iloilo solon was probably referring to the Executive Order No. 13 Mr. Duterte issued in 2017 allowing Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) to operate outside of ecozones, causing them to grow in number.

Also, in a press conference early this year, Loreto-Garin reminded the former Chief Executive of “responsibility and accountability,” saying Mr. Duterte’s words “carry weight and influence public perception.”

She chided Mr. Duterte to “be mindful of his criticisms and accusations against President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, or this can “send the wrong signal” to the local and international community.

“I think, with due respect to former President Duterte, he needs to decipher the proper words to say. Even when he was the president, sometimes, he would make candid jokes, and he forgets that his words become official statements because of his stature as an official,” Garin recalled.

The lawmaker’s reaction came after Mr. Duterte insinuated that Mr. Marcos was merely indulging in leisurely travels during his trips abroad.

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