Presidential outbursts

Editorial

President Benigno Aquino III unleashed his pent-up rage at officials and employees of the Bureau of Immigration early this week, barking and snarling at them during the bureau’s 72nd anniversary celebration. He said the bureau was inept and corrupt. Mr. Aquino was like a ferocious guard dog confronting the crooks who serve as gatekeepers of our country.

Mr. Aquino’s biting remarks stripped them of whatever modicum of dignity and self-respect that still remained in the graft-ridden office. He shattered the pretentions of moral fitness in the agency.

“You are in cahoots with criminals, and you are sleeping on the job,” the President told a glum-looking audience that included Immigration chief Ricardo David and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, whose office has direct supervision over the functions of the bureau. He spoke in Tagalog so there was no room for misunderstanding about his message.

Mr. Aquino cited the case of Kim Tae Dong who was ordered deported for involvement in a scam in South Korea. Kim disappeared in a hospital while under the watch of Immigration personnel. Also, former Palawan governor Joel Reyes and his brother, Coron mayor Mario Reyes, slipped out of the country despite a watch-order issued against them.

Mr. Aquino hissed his displeasure at 42 Chinese criminals who entered the country with ease. Not only did the Immigration bureau fail to stop them, their number had also increased. “Maybe they are happy with the way we implement our laws here,” the President said.

It was not the first time that Mr. Aquino verbally assaulted and shamed government officials and employees for involvement in corruption and other irregularities. Recently, he dressed down Bureau of Customs officials for their failure to account for nearly 2,000 container vans that disappeared without a trace.

We applaud Mr. Aquino’s gumption to speak his mind about shortcomings in government under his administration. He verbalized what is in the minds of millions of Filipinos about graft and corruption, half-hearted implementation of laws, and the breakdown of the moral fiber in the civil service. We only wish he would apply the same zeal to everybody regardless of where they are in the political equation.

It is most unfortunate that, after Mr. Aquino’s tirades, there is total silence in the concerned agencies. Officials retreat into a corner and sulk like spoiled brats. Should they not resign instead?

And why is the President not firing them?

People hope that these outbursts would yield concrete results such as a bureaucratic clean-up. This will then give way to better service.

Mr. Aquino has put the crooks in government service on notice that they are being watched. He needs to follow through on his tough talk. If these crooks manage to cling to the perks and privileges in their offices, they will have succeeded in reducing the President’s outburst into inconsequential rants.