Res Gestae
Sealed with facts
Almost two months ago, I was threatened with a libel case. It was in connection with my disclosure of an extortion activity of an employee of a government agency here.
It gave me a different shot of excitement in my three years of writing for this column.
It also prompted me to revisit my Revised Penal Code: Explained and Exemplified authored by Judge Roger B Patricio, my professor in Criminal Law Review class at the University of Iloilo. I reviewed the provisions on libel and such appeased me.
My intention for writing about that illegal activity was to warn the public from falling into the hands of 'predators'in the government service. There was no malice in that decision. I simply acted on the rumblings of my conscience.
While it is a time-honored principle that "public office is a public trust," many simply cannot be trusted. No, not many but only few of them are tainting the good image of public service.
Last September 15, 2008, my expose` was sealed with the arrest of Robert Borja Senining. Senining extorted several applicants for police service with a promise of 'fixing'their impediments through waiver. His victims 'suffered'from either height, age, or eligibility disqualification. His assurance was to resolve their problem by securing for the said applicants a certificate of membership with the indigenous peoples. Senining though was not in any way affiliated with National Commission for Indigenous Peoples. Well, I could not discount the possibility that he might have affiliation with any of the employees of said agency.
It was that easy. If Senining have indeed done it before, a piece of document could truly turn the truths upside down. It was awful but the most unforgivable to that fact was the taking advantage of the privilege (the membership with the indigenous peoples) with malicious… selfish intention.
The certificate of membership with the indigenous peoples must have meant an affirmation of one's root and of taking pride with one's origin and history. Otherwise, it is only used to cure, nay cover-up, one's impediments. Incompetence. Caprices. And, while such does not violate the letters of the law, it surely kills its spirit.
Though further investigation needs to prove the issue on extortion activity in the approval or issuance of the certificate of membership with the indigenous people, Seninings'statements and the affidavits of his complainants revealed a probable reality affecting the credibility of the concerned government agency.
My expose'two months ago could have led for the conduct of an ex parte investigation to that effect. But nobody cared. Thus, I have this warning to the culprit/s – my pen is restless!
(Comments to rogatepnp@yahoo.com or 09193161190)