Repeating the errors of the past

Editorial

PRESIDENT Aquino attempted on Friday to defend his appointment of former Isabela governor Grace Padaca to the Commission on Elections by saying she had not done anything wrong. Still, Filipinos are wondering where the Chief Executive is coming from.

In the first place, the Sandiganbayan had issued a warrant of arrest against Padaca in connection with a corruption case after she awarded a P25-million contract to a non-government organization without public bidding.

The arrest order was never served on the former governor, a Liberal Party member, although she was frequently seen in public in the company of big shots from the Aquino administration. Moreover, no less than the President himself coughed up the P70,000 bail for Padaca.

The actions of the government makes one wonder if the Palace realizes what kind of signal it is sending to people. It’s all right to defy the order of a court of law, so long as you’re a member of the ruling party?

While it is true that Padaca remains innocent until proven guilty, it is also true that this presumption of innocence does not apply to officials of the military and the police, who will not even be considered for promotion if they have pending cases with the Ombudsman, much less the Sandiganbayan.

Under ordinary circumstances, public officials are even subjected to preventive suspension if they have cases that have been elevated to the Sandiganbayan. Does Padaca’s appointment mean that members of constitutional commission only have to meet lower standards of integrity?

The President also said that Padaca was qualified to sit in the Comelec because she was a victim of poll fraud. Even presuming, without granting, the truth of the presidential pronouncement, does it necessarily follow that a victim of rape or kidnapping is qualified to become a director of the Philippine National Police?

Mr. Aquino’s defense notwithstanding, many Filipinos are still wondering why they are seeing under the Aquino administration the same things they used to witness under the previous dispensation. The United Nationalist Alliance is therefore justified in asking if the Aquino administration is repeating the very behavior that they used to condemn.

“The law enforcement agencies were either reluctant or given orders to go easy on members of the Arroyo party and officials of the Arroyo administration facing charges in court. Are we seeing a repeat of this abuse of power under the DILG?” asked UNA secretary-general Toby Tiangco.

It is not unreasonable to expect a little bit more circumspection from the Aquino administration in its actions and words. If Juan dela Cruz is truly the boss, he does not deserve to be treated like an imbecile. The boss deserves some respect.