"It is but proper and fitting that this Court commend the unfaltering and very able assistance rendered to the accused, seen from the excellent presentation made of his case, particularly by his defense counsel, Atty. Abelardo L. Aportadera, Jr., of Davao City, who unstintedly and magnanimously contributed his legal talents and efforts in the hope that justice may ultimately prevail." X X X
Supreme Court Decision in 'People of the Philippines - versus- Lucio Lumayok' G.R. No. L-54016
A Malacanang economic adviser suggested that government should set aside as much as P114 billion for fiscal pump-priming this year in order to help cushion the domestic economy from an immediate global recession. He proposed a second round of fiscal stimulus package – a follow-up to the P75 billion released last year – by realigning the 2009 budget and undertaking additional borrowings.
The package seeks to increase the government budget in order to spend more for poverty-relieving social programs; for productivity-enhancing measures; for human capital formation.
The package is laudable as long as it is not squandered by corrupt implementers in government. Sources of corruption would be the P17 billion earmarked for palay procurement; P5 billion for reforestation; and P8 billion for the national calamity fund; and P96 billion for food production.
It is said that trillions of pesos have been lost in the past years because of corruption in government. The GMA Administration has not effectively addressed this serious situation even as its term is slowly but surely coming to its inevitable end by 2010.
Pump-priming the justice system for efficiency, honesty and integrity , hand in hand with fiscal pump-priming of the economy would do well to shield the country from the now here recession.
As a start, government should secure a positive closures on the P2 billion Fertilizer Fund Scam which involved the Department of Agriculture officials and the $329.5 million NBN-ZTE Broadband Project which involved the Department of Transportation and Communication officials, and other graft ridden multi-million government projects.
The GMA Administration should also demonstrate and impress on the people that “no person is above the law” be that person be in Malacanang, in Congress, or in the Judiciary. On this aspect, strong political will is needed.
It should provide the anti-graft agencies including the justice department and the courts with sufficient legal tools and competent complements in order to make them effective in the ever ongoing combat against the corrupted and corruptors in government.
By stopping the hemorrhaging of government funds from the government coffers to the pockets of corrupt government officials, tremendous savings would be achieved, more than enough to stave the effects of global recession, with excess to pump-prime the economy.