Review – and then what?

The President has issued Administrative Order No. 210 that calls for a review of all government projects being undertaken with foreign funds.

And then what?

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I hate to sound cynical, but how many times have we heard both from this and other administrations, similar orders to “investigate”, to “crack down”, to “probe” so many other infrastructure projects like roads and bridges, government buildings, sea ports, airports, what have you – often with the sonorous threats of “Heads will roll”, and then, after some noise and alleged exposés, the issues are forgotten, or added to the pile of investigation reports that, as the song goes, “just lie there and die there”.

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All this came about because of the shocker from the World Bank that said it was withholding the much-expected loan of $232 million because of perceived misuse of amounts already released, and of the reputation we have gained as one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Also, the WB seems to be very interested in the money going to road construction which is said to be the biggest and most lucrative source of dirty money.

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Government has given out a lot of excuses for the holding back of the WB loan and, earlier, even said the international financing institution was only waiting for compliance with some requirements, that there is a new dispensation in the bank and our loan was caught in the politics there, etc. But why are the cabinet members being called by the Senate to shed light on the case shying away from the probe? Some say they need time to prepare their “defense” – is that the correct word? Others claimed they are busy attending to the victims and the effects of typhoons Mina and Lando. Anything, to avoid answering the incisive questions that the senators will be sure to pose. One can only wonder…

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Typhoons to the right, earthquakes to the left. Not only Indonesia was struck by an earthquake this week, Manila and some places in Luzon also experienced tremors yesterday, that caused some panic in the street. But the worst scare was in Indonesia , where the quakes registered at 6.7 first, then 6.1 later, and in the afternoon, 5.7, and cannot be called just after-shocks because of their intensity. One can't blame the Indonesians for their terror. Only last September, they had an 8.4 intensity quake in West Sumatra that killed 24 people. Then there was also the December 2004 quake that brought on the deadly tsunami in Aceh Province that killed 170,000, natives as well as foreigners vacationing or touring the place. We in the Philippines must keep on praying that we be spared from such calamities.

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In Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, one of two holduppers was shot by a man they had just robbed at knifepoint of his gold necklace. When the robbers fled, their victim, who happened to be a policeman, fired at them, killing one, and arresting the other. It was unfortunate for the thieves, but why would a cop be wearing a gold necklace while wandering around, even if he is not in uniform? Maybe, too, it was a solid gold one, since he was ready to kill for it. Otherwise he should have shot the robber only in the arm or in the leg.

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The report did not tell if he got his necklace back. A woman shopper at Manila 's famous Divisoria was not so lucky. While browsing in the place with her husband and daughter, somebody sneaked up behind her and sliced off her earlobes to get her earrings. And he got both of them, too. What audacity! A long time ago, my cousins and I were also in Divisoria when we heard a commotion in one of the stores. We learned later that a bejeweled matron had rested her hand on the counter while talking to the salesgirl when she felt a sudden sharp pain in her hand. Looking down, she saw blood gushing from her hand and her finger and the big diamond ring on it, were gone. The moral lesson as a police chief once advised women during festivals: Wear only fancy jewelry when mixing with crowds. If you want to keep your finger and your ear lobes, that is.*

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