Lead by example

Abigail Valte, deputy presidential spokesperson, said in a news conference last week that President Benigno Aquino III will not for now respond to Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano’s challenge for him and members of his Cabinet to waive their right to the secrecy of their bank deposits or resign.

Malacañang cannot blame Juan de la Cruz if he thinks that the Palace is resorting to sophistry in explaining the President’s resistance to the senator’s call.

Valte would have us understand that the President cannot be compelled to resort to reactionary measures after Corona, then chief justice on trial before the Senate sitting as an Impeachment Court, signed a bank secrecy waiver.

“It was the accused [Corona] who issued the challenge to every Tom, Dick and Harry who was willing to take on his dare. Is it fair to put the President, who has not been accused of graft, who has not been accused of dishonesty, in the same category as the man who was just removed from his post?” she asked.

True, Corona’s waiver, which he signed while daring his accusers in the Lower House and Sen. Franklin Drilon whom he perceived as his tormentor to do the same, was shown to be a useless gimmick.

Corona confessed that he omitted from his Sworn Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) bank deposits worth at least US $2 million and more than P80 million.

His debacle, however, only auspiciously reminded that amid the campaign trail, then presidential candidate Aquino in 2010 promised to open to scrutiny his bank accounts once elected Chief Executive.

We hope that promise of transparency beyond the call of the law was not just a theatrical device to enhance Aquino’s image as he promised to lead the nation through the straight instead of the wayward path and vanquish corruption so that no Filipino would be left impoverished.

Some officials have demonstrated that it would not be hard for the President to translate his word into action.

More than a week ago, Kalinga Rep. Abigail Faye Ferriol, 27, indulged Corona and signed a waiver to open her accounts. She presented it to Corona’s defense team.

A domino effect ensued in the Lower House as more congressmen expressed their willingness to sign bank secrecy waivers.

Meanwhile, the High Tribunal under Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio approved a resolution dated May 30 to release the 2011 SALNs and personal data sheets of all justices and judges.

These inroads towards open government could become policy if Congress ratifies and the President signs into law the Freedom of Information bill. Then the SC would have no business disclosing only the 2011 SALNs of justices and judges. All our congressmen, not just a handful of them, could be duty bound to open their bank accounts.

For now, however, the President must teach colleagues in the three branches of government transparency by example.

The President may not be accused of graft, as Valte said, but there is a nearly year-old Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism report showing that his wealth grew by almost three hundred percent in his first year as President in contrast to only 60 percent in his nine years as a congressman representing the second district of Tarlac province.

The President certainly has some explaining to do. If indeed he is upright and has nothing to hide, he has no reason to delay opening his accounts to fulfill his own word.