‘What are we in power for?’

By Herbert Vego 

WHY do the words “graft” and “corruption” go together as if it were a singular word in exposing the evils in government?

Graft, according to the dictionary, means the acquisition of money or any other material gain in dishonest or questionable ways for personal gain or advantage.

Corruption refers to dishonest or fraudulent conduct.

Therefore, there is graft and corruption in bribery, extortion, thievery, and nepotism, which are characterized by the subordination of public interest to private interest regardless of harm suffered by the people.

Are there clear examples of graft and corruption within the government of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr?  Yes, according to Marcos himself in his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 28, 2025.

To recall what is now public knowledge, he found it “disturbing” that that PHP 100 billion, or 20 percent of the entire PHP 545-billion budget for flood mitigation projects undertaken by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), was awarded to only 15 out of 2,409 accredited contractors.

He revealed the names of the 15 top contractors which cornered most of the flood control projects in cahoots with certain legislators.

The system of check and balance no longer works. So, some of his allies have advised him to declare “martial law” or a revolutionary government to jail the culprits, but he would not.

Under the 1987 Constitution, the President may only proclaim martial law in case of foreign invasion and rebellion when public safety requires it.

His predecessor, Rodrigo Duterte, had failed us with his “war on drugs” that turned out to be autocratic.

Human rights organizations claim that 30,000 people were killed during Duterte’s so-called war on drugs.

Some of the alleged drug lords made no secret of their powerful connections.  Remember, one of them identified as Peter Lim first broke into the front pages of the Manila newspapers when he paid a visit to the former president in July 2016.

The Duterte government never identified the big drug lord behind the smuggling of 604 kilograms of shabu from China found in a warehouse in Valenzuela City on May 26, 2017.

Two massive drug shipments concealed in magnetic lifters – one believed to be worth PHP 11 billion and the other, PHP 2.4 billion – slipped into the country in June 2018.

Those incidents invoked the images of government officials accepting millions of pesos from favored drug dealers.

“What are we in power for?”

As reported in the newspapers of that era, it was intended as a joke by then Senate President Jose Avelino during a dinner party with President Elpidio Quirino in Malacañang Palace in January 1949. Quirino was inquiring about money-making activities of government officials under investigation.

Avelino allegedly added, “Why should we pretend to be saints when in reality we are not? We are not angels. When we die, we will all go to hell. It is better to be in hell because in that place there are no investigations.”

A few of his fellow senators did not take that statement sitting down. They investigated Avelino and sentenced him to one-year suspension on charges of tax evasion.

Chiz, Jinggoy and Joel would probably be happy if that’s all for them, too.

-oOo-

KALIBO MAYOR MEETS WITH MORE POWER PRESIDENT/CEO

BASED on a report flashed by Radyo Todo Aklan (88.5 FM), Kalibo Mayor Juris Sucro invited into his office MORE Power President Roel Z. Castro on the possibility of teaming up with Aklan Electric Cooperative (AKELCO) in pursuit of better electricity distribution services at lower rates.

The two discussed the matter together with Vice Mayor Phillip Kimpo.

It has been two years since June 2023 when Kalibo Sangguniang Bayan member Christine Dela Cruz asked Mayor Sucro to study the possibility of supporting a Joint venture agreement between AKELCO and MORE Power of Iloilo City.

We have yet to hear AKELCO’s reaction.