GENUINO'S GAMBLING + GARCIA'S GSIS + GLORIA'S GOVERNMENT = GRAFT

Webster's dictionary defines graft as "the use of dishonest means and political influence or position to acquire personal gain." Jueteng, smuggling, gambling. These three words ending with a G are part and parcel of this government's legacy, and incidentally, three prominent names starting with a G make it to the news on a regular basis - Genuino, Garcia, Gloria. And what's the controversy all about? G for Graft. When Lingayen Archbishop Oscar Cruz revealed to the public that four (4) national officials and six (6) local officials were receiving bribes from the PhP 30 billion jueteng bonanza, the palace just shrugged off its shoulders. As usual, palace apologists were quick to dare Archbishop Cruz to name names, with the usual motherhood statement that "President Arroyo is fully committed to stamp out all forms of gambling in the country." Now that's garbage with a capital G! Archbishop Cruz retorts that it is "appaling and highly unbelievable" for Malacanang to not know the identities of the persons involved. Cruz is correct. Malacanang knows. Cruz is even generous, again with a capital G. He should have said forty (40) national officials and six hundred (600) local officials instead of four and six. Sticking to four and six, it's easy to guess who these people are. The two of them are seen almost daily in Malacanang, while the other two could be seen in two separate offices on EDSA. As to the six, choose your wild from Bulacan to Pampanga, to Pangasinan and the Ilocos region, all four places as the home turf of "the lady in jueteng."

(Image from http://www.bicolmail.com/

A LISTENING PRESIDENT - WHO'S DEAF

Lying is a cottage industry these days in Malacanang. Newly-appointed Press Secretary Jess Dureza told radio listeners recently that President Arroyo is "a listening president." Really now. Is she "a listening president" when she keeps ignoring the nation's call for her to step down? Is she "a listening president" when she keeps re-appointing public officials who do not pass or who are by-passed by the Commission on Appointments (CA)? Is she "a listening president" when she keeps travelling with an expensive and a large entourage including nannies of her grandchildren? Is she "a listening president" each time she re-appoints a retired general to a sensitive top government position? Is the word "retired" so difficult for her to understand? Is she "a listening president" each time she ignores public clamor for the firing of GSIS' Winston Garcia? Is she "a listening president" each time her numerous attempts at Charter Change is rejected by the Filipino people? We are reminded of former Malaysian Prime Minister Dr. Mahathir Mohammad when he said it so clear, "When you have a leader who is totally insensitive and refuses to accept realities, then you have a problem." Just for once, can she now be "a listening president" for us all and serve another term not in office - but in jail?

(Image from http://news.bbc.co.uk/)

ESTRELLA ELAMPARO'S ERROR

GSIS chief legal counsel Estrella Elamparo was wrong to say that Winston Garcia's family in Cebu are in no way involved in the operations of Visayan Electric Co. (VECO), the Cebuano version of Meralco. She went public recently in an attempt to fool consumers that Winston Garcia has no hidden agenda whatsoever. The Garcia's are indeed interlinked with the Aboitiz family (VECO owners on record), in the management of RP's second largest franchise of electricity. Again, my GSIS mole tells me that VECO is owned by the Aboitiz family and has for itself a lawyer in the person of Jess Anthony Garcia from the Neri-Garcia clan. He is Winston Garcia's nephew and the eldest son of Alvin Garcia, former Cebu City mayor and younger brother of Jesus "Sonny" Garcia, FVR's former transportation secretary. Alvin and Sonny are Winston's first cousin. Sonny Garcia sits in the board of Vivant Corp., the holding firm of the Aboitizes' VECO. Sonny Garcia has been lawyering for the Aboitizes shipping business in particular. Elamparo failed to do her homework. A costly blunder such as this could backfire on her boss, especially if the Lopezes take on this error hook, line and sinker.

(Image from http://abs-cbnnews.con/)

DID GSIS AWARD COMPUTERIZATION CONTRACT TO AN INTERNET CAFE?

My GSIS mole tells me that the GSIS may have awarded a contract to computerize its records to an internet cafe based in Cagayan de Oro. Now, if true, how is it that a multi-billion government financial institution, the fiduciary of millions of civil servants' hard-earned and forced savings, could possibly deal with a penny-ante company is once again an entry for the Guinness' Book of World Records, and possibly for Ripley's too! Well, it turns out that the controlling stockbroker of this internet cafe disguising as a software developer, is surnamed Fiel. Winston Garcia's middle name is Fiel. Coincidence?? Your guess is as good as mine. So, if the botched-up computerization deal has messed up the lives of hundreds of thousands of GSIS members, blame it on Fiel and Fiel-Garcia. Apparently, the former pretends to be an expert on computer systems, and the latter wants us to believe that he is God's gift to the science of management.

(Image from http://pia.gov.ph)