Bantay Kurapsyon:BLAME GAME

Bantay Kurapsyon: An award-winning anti-corruption campaign

The present scenario of the SK Federation mess is one typical example of a blame game where parties involved in anomalous government deals and activities tend to share or transfer blames to others literally to free themselves from public accountability and criticism.

Nevertheless, this kind of diversionary tactic no longer works in a society where a relative freedom of expression works, especially when there is a dynamic and vigilant media community  covering the issue.

Last week, Hon. Lee  Marie Saceda and her mother personally spoke with me to discuss matters concerning the SK Federation.  To be  more exact, both of them blamed the Office of Hon. Vice Mayor Famas for all the  issues concerning the Summer League. They argued that Mark Mondoy, whome according to them was appointed and insisted by Hon. Famas had a direct hand in the questionable accounts of the revenues collected during the summer league basketball tourney.

While I share with them the issue of dubious appointment process of Mark Mondoy as SK Coordinator, I would refuse to succumb to the issue of personnel appointment alone.

For even if persons involved in anomalous transactions are appointees of other office heads or whose terms of office are co-terminus with the President of the Republic of the Philippines, the head of the office concerned will still be held legally accountable of all internal financial issues.

For the SK Federation subject, Section 5 of the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards of Government Employees and Officials or RA 6713 clearly implies that “all public documents must be made accessible to, and readily available for inspection by, the public within reasonable working hours.” Surely, the Sk Federation cannot provide any document at all to show how and where the Sk funds are being used for. How much more of the records about the income from basketball games?

Many believes that the SK Coordinators spent the income for their personal gains without taking into consideration of the proper procedures in the disbursement of funds.

For this,  the misuse of SK funds by these coordinators do not only constitute a case with administrative implication but of criminal in nature as per provisions of Article 217 of the Revised Penal Code. It constitutes a malversation of public funds and properties and is a public crime punishable by  prison mayor in its minimum perod plus a fine.

Mark Mondoy and any other employees may think of the SK federation issue as a mere laughing stuff. But I can assure you, It wont take long for them to kneel and beg before the public, confessing their crimes, regretting their mistakes, asking forgiveness for their misdeeds. After all, the public deserves a simple  expression of good faith from them as soon as possible- a financial statement.

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