BACOLOD CITY — It is very frustrating and disappointing. On the Senate hearing on Jocelyn Bolante on the fertilizer fund scam and on Eliseo de la Paz on the misuse of police fund, we ask where is this country going?

The money misused by Bolante is the money of the poor farmers to be used for food production. The money misused by de la Paz is the money of the poor police recruits.

The hearings which came with two days between each other showed both Bolante and de le Paz claiming all the responsibility, absolving other top officials. They are not afraid to go to jail because they could have been assured, they will not go to jail.

I understand up to now, another PNP Comptroller Carlos F. Garcia is not in jail yet. And many others who squandered public money.

These points to one defect in this country, our defective criminal justice system.

No one is afraid to steal funds now, if the perception persists that one can escape jail. All the laws we have. The problem is in the implementation.

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Local NBI Director Mamerto Cortez is facing media harassment as a retaliation for enforcing the law. I understand from a friend, he is filing a case in court and will soon meet the press.

The truth will come out in the end. But personally I am for supporting officials enforcing the law. If they are not supported who will enforce the law? I heard many good things about Cortez from friends.

How can we rid this country of scalawags if law enforcers are afraid to enforce the law? Cortez is filing cases against his tormentors, I understand.

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And the defect is not just in the courts. The Commission on Audit did not check on the P693 million of PNP from where de la Paz got the funds to buy euros, possibly for laundering abroad.

These funds, investigation showed, are for the salaries of the police recruits but delayed for six months and the money goes to the private pockets of the officials.

The three big scams we have, the one involving a former police comptroller Carlos Garcia, the one of de la Paz, his successor, and that of Bolante, became public issues because it was in other countries they were discovered. Why were they not discovered here?

Garcia’s case exploded when his sons were found to be carrying millions of dollars on landing in Los Angeles. And his wife revealed to the U.S. investigators where the money came from.

De la Paz’s case was discovered in Moscow when he was found to be carrying big amounts of euros at the airport. Bolante’s case became a bigger issue when he flew to the U.S. where he was detained in jail for two years.

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Must this country continue to bleed, the poor getting poorer and the hungry hungrier? All because money intended for food production is being stolen by officials?

It is not in fertilizer funds that stealing was made. There was the swine scam by Quedancor. There were the seeds scam, the fingerling scams, and many other projects intended for farmers but ending up in the hands of the corrupt.

These Senate investigations will mean nothing to those accused except that they were shamed. It is still the courts that will decide, the courts that may be influenced by top officials.

In aid of legislation? Former Solicitor General Frank Chavez said, we have enough laws already. But the Senate hearing provides a good purpose of making people aware of how their money is stolen.

These Senate hearings also give us a glimpse who among the Senators are Presidential potential who will turn this country around and stop corruption.

He must be one with a political will to send to jail corrupt officials. Then make big publicity about it.

And in our countries the accused are manacled, straight-jacketed when being brought to court.

We hope our courts do not become too libertarian. We can never discipline our corrupt unless they know they will be jailed for stealing public funds.

And we can do this by being vigilant.

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