Somebody took a picture of the headline of a national daily and posted it on Facebook. It was to the effect that government agencies should not follow COA or the Commission on Audit. That was coming from the President of this republic.
If the COA, supposed to be guarding misuse of our money is vilified, then this country is “free for all” to abuse and steal from. It practically means “you can do anything you want with government funds” —the people’s money, our money.
How can those auditors at the COA be expected now to do their jobs? They will just not do their jobs anymore. Worse, due to their being grossly demoralized, they might end up going in cahoots with the corrupt people in government just by doing a lousy job.
This is a case of “kung sino pa ang matino, siya ang ginawang masama.”
Particularly pointed out by the COA was the misuse of funds by the Department of Health, when people are dying and health front liners are not being paid what was promised them. They are risking their lives everyday and yet money was not being disbursed for their incentives or proper salaries.
Likewise, medical equipment, facilities and supplies are in short supply—causing unnecessary deaths– and yet there was money allotted for these which was not being disbursed. As a number of senators pointed out, should not the head of the DOH be suspended already pending investigation of what the COA has pointed out?
Why not apply the same logic applied to the top executives of Philhealth who were immediately suspended when the stench of their alleged anomalies hit the headlines? Compartmentalized justice is the idea that people get from all of these. That is, justice is dispensed with differently even if the culprits are in the same circumstances. If you are a friend of the powers-that-be, you will not only go scot free. They might even come to your defense by vilifying those accusing you of anything.
Is this democracy? No, it is not. It is gross abuse of power, at a time when people are dying and going hungry.**