ENRILE’S ACQUITTAL HIGHLIGHTS CORRUPTION IMPUNITY
Puro acquittal, walang napapanagot na matataas na opisyal.
The acquittal of former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, his former chief-of-staff Gigi Reyes, and pork barrel operator Janet Lim Napoles highlights the continuing corruption and impunity that has enabled politicians and corrupt bureaucrats to steal from the national coffers without fear of being held accountable for their crimes.
This is a grim reminder of how the justice system shields the rich and powerful, and why bigger and sustained protests are needed to pursue accountability and justice. The acquittal of Enrile, who is currently presidential legal counsel, follows the dismissal of several ill-gotten wealth cases involving the Marcos family and their cronies.
It is infuriating that not a single politician has been convicted in relation to the pork barrel scam involving Napoles. It is unacceptable that only corrupt contractors like her face imprisonment but not the masterminds and their accomplices in government.
The Napoles scam is similar to the raging flood control anomalies wherein contractors conspire with politicians and bureaucrats in stealing public funds through rigged biddings, kickbacks, and ghost projects.
Enrile and company’s acquittal is deeply unjust and an insult to ordinary Filipinos who suffer every day from the scourge of corruption and impunity.
Similarly, the criminals behind the flood control scandal can bide their time, allow public attention and anger to subside, and use their ill-gotten wealth to ensure their acquittal under our flawed justice system.
We must not allow this to happen. We should continue to denounce the cover-up in the ongoing anti-corruption investigations. Three months after Marcos’ state of the nation address, only one politician has been charged for his role in the massive infrastructure corruption. We demand that Marcos Jr., who bears principal responsibility for allowing the pork barrel insertions, should be made accountable as well.
We call for protests denouncing the acquittal of Enrile and Napoles ,and to continue the demand for accountability for the pork barrel scam. More protests are needed to push for accountability and the dismantling of bureaucrat capitalism which preserves and advances the interests of political dynasties, their cronies, oligarchs, and foreign powers.
Let us show that the people are more determined and powerful in exacting accountability, pursuing justice, and defeating the corrupt in government.
#burukratakapitalismoibagsak #StopKorap #KurakotManagot
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