Honesty is such a lonely word!

How does it feel to be portrayed as a corrupt person every Sunday for more than 1 year?
It must be hell.
But of course, that is merely speculative.
Because one has to live it to really feel it.
And only Alex Seroje has lived that kind of hell.
Thanks to the continuous barrage of personal attacks and accusations of Nilo Sarigumba.
And his loyal friends in the media.

* * *

Armed with a letter-complaint and few attachments, and filed before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas in Cebu, Nilo Sarigumba started his regular barrage against Alex Seroje.
And he was so persuasive and terribly convincing.
He was given primetime accommodation by a sympathetic media.
His every word, taken as gospel truth, always got banner treatment. As if he was the repository of truth in his so-called crusade against graft and corruption.
But of course, his “crusade” was only for Alex Seroje and the Talibon irrigation project.
His crusade against corruption did not extend to the pernicious practice of some contractors who engage in “buy-outs” in the bidding of public works projects.
His crusade did not include bogus contractors who pretend to be contractors but without the most basic equipment like trucks, payloaders, graders and the like. Yes, that’s Sarigumba’s selective crusade against corruption.
But nobody cared, not even the sympathetic media. Because they were focused on Alex Seroje only.
Together, they made life terribly difficult to bear for Alex Seroje and his family.

* * *

But it didn’t take long for the Ombudsman to discover that Nilo Sarigumba was just peddling lies and deceit.
The NIA fact-finding team, whose members went to Talibon to conduct an ocular inspection based on Sarigumba’s allegations, found that Sarigumba was lying through his teeth.
They concluded in their report that all the allegations in Sarigumba’s complaint were not true.
Grabeha pod oy! Bakak diay to tanan nga mga pasangil!
But the sympathetic media ignored this, it was willing to turn a blind eye and continued the attack against Alex Seroje without let-up.
It must be stressed here that in the Resolution dismissing the case against Seroje, the graft investigator took extra effort to highlight the deception of Sarigumba by underlining the findings of the NIA fact-finding team.
In boxing parlance, Sarigumba was already TKO on the first round.
This is the reason why if you read the Resolution, the discussion is concentrated on the other findings of the NIA fact-finding team, the false allegations of Sarigumba were sidelined for good.
In the language of the graft investigator, the allegations of Sarigumba which “were shown to be false during the fact-finding investigation conducted by NIA shall no longer be taken up for, obviously, these do not proffer any cognizable significant issue. Instead, what shall be discussed at length, are the adverse findings embodied in the NIA investigation report.”
Can there be any plainer language than that?
Mo-insister pa gyod si Sarigumba?
It is very clear that Sarigumba made false accusations against Seroje.
And come to think about it.
Sarigumba, who was proven to be lying by the NIA, is the same liar who was given primetime special treatment by the sympathetic media.
Even the TV crew of Imbestigador of GMA7 were also taken for a ride to lala-land by Sarigumba.
Indeed, as Billy Joel said, honesty is such a lonely word.

* * *

But just to be sure that there is no hokus-pokus in our discussion, let me quote part of Sarigumba’s complaint to the Ombudsman:
“Per actual inspection of the project at jobsite, made sometime in November 2003, only the following physical accomplishments were visible:
1. office building
2. access road leading to reservoir site
3. concrete bridge, about 10 meters
4. laid RC pipes.”
Sarigumba made it clear that he personally inspected the project sometime in November 2003. And he listed only 4 structures.
Now, what were the findings of the NIA fact-finding team to Sarigumba’s accusation?
“From the ocular inspection conducted by the Team, it appears that Engr. Sarigumba’s allegations that only four (4) structures are visible is not true since except for the dam embankment, the Team found more than four (4) structures as enumerated above (item nos. 1 to 10) actually finished and completed. It appears also that the Bohol PIO have accomplished portion of dam embankment, extent of which is indicated in yellow code as shown in the said General Layout of the Damsite and Reservoir Area marked annex E-1 of the sworn statement of Engr. Cagampang.”
Just to be very specific, Sarigumba said the concrete bridge was only about 10 meters.
The NIA found that the bridge was actually a 32 meter-long concrete bridge.
Now, who is lying, Sarigumba or Seroje?

* * *

Here’s another instance.
Sarigumba said SCP Construction has an on-going contract covering the construction of (a) reservoir foundation and (b) waterways leading to the reservoir.
So what is the finding of the NIA fact-finding team?
“There is no truth to this.”
And another one.
Sarigumba said that other “facts of the alleged accomplishment are not covered by the approved Program of Work.”
And the reply of the NIA fact-finding team?
“From the above documents, it is clear that works done in the Talibon SRIP were all undertaken with duly approved POWs.”
Again, who is lying, Sarigumba or Seroje?
Of course, there is no need for an answer because it is very clear in the NIA report as to who was lying.

* * *

So what was Sarigumba’s move following the dismissal of the case against Seroje?
When interviewed over Cuentas Claras last Wednesday, he said “itugyan na lang na nako sa Ginoo” after expressing his distrust of the Ombudsman.
But what did he do actually?
Sarigumba filed an Earnest Motion for Reconsideration and have copies of his motion distributed to the different media in the city.
True to form, he says one thing, he does another.
And because his motion is more like an “emotional motion,” Longcuts thinks he is not really after a determination of the merits. Sarigumba wants to continue Seroje’s trial by publicity.
Well, I hope this time, the sympathetic media will have learned its lesson.
It has completely crushed and devastated the honor and reputation of Alex Seroje with false accusations only to be cleared recently by the Office of the Ombudsman.
And it has hailed Nilo Sarigumba like a “hero” or “saint” and only to be baptized later by NIA as a liar.
I know, it’s too much to expect for an apology. But fairness demands that Seroje’s dismissal should also enjoy primetime treatment.

* * *

After reading my copy of Sarigumba’s motion for reconsideration (this time he is being earnest), thanks to the kindness of boss Tim Cabatos (that’s how I call him), I cannot help but chuckle.
His motion, this time, is made in earnest. What does that say of his previous pleadings?
They were not made in earnest? (he, he, he, joke lang boss!)

* * *

Anyway, here’s my take of the Earnest Motion for Reconsideration.
There is nothing in the motion that counters by way of an argument the extensive discussion of Graft Investigator Sarah Jo Vergara.
Vergara made it clear in her Resolution that all the allegations of Sarigumba were not true and would no longer be considered in the discussion of the merits of the case.
In his motion, Sarigumba has nothing to say by way of contradicting this assessment.
Simply said, he has no explanation. Meaning, he accepts completely the observation that his accusations were all lies.

* * *

Moreover, Sarigumba did not question the findings of the NIA fact-finding team.
Their findings vary substantially with Sarigumba’s personal inspection of the irrigation project.
In his motion for reconsideration, Sarigumba does not have any comment about this variance.
Neither did Sarigumba question in his motion the findings of the Commission on Audit when it said it interposed on objection to the reported 49.01% project accomplishment as of December 1998.
Again, this means Sarigumba does not have the goods, the proofs to be exact, by which to question the accuracy of the findings of the COA.
Which means that any question about disbursement or how the P165-M outlay for the project was spent is already covered by the COA report.

* * *

Aside from a sweeping generalization, what is there to digest in Sarigumba’s earnest motion for reconsideration?
As usual, Sarigumba has his suspicions.
As usual, Sarigumba suspects about “powerful officials who are involved in the scam.”
But at the same time, he is very secretive. He keeps the identity of these “powerful officials” secret. In other words, they exist only in his mind and he does not want to share this knowledge with the people, or even to the Ombudsman for that matter.
Which is very ironic.
While he accused the Ombudsman in his motion of depriving the complainants of their day in court, Sarigumba in turn is also depriving the Ombudsman of her day in court by refusing to inform her about the identity of these so-called “powerful officials” who are involved in the scam.
Pag-sure pod oi!
Comments or suggestions, write to salvadiputado@yahoo.com

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