GOVERNANCE MATTERS Former Vice President Jejomar Binay The year began with Rep. Allan Peter Cayetano, the congressman from Taguig and disgraced former Speaker of the House of Representatives, criticizing the current House leadership for allegedly suppressing efforts to weed out corruption among the ranks of congressmen. That is trademark Cayetano, typical of a self-styled moral crusader and Scripture-quoting hypocrite whose grandiosity is fuelled by naked ambition. His fall from grace last year at the hands of his colleagues in the august chamber should have tempered his wicked and reckless ways. But that is simply wishful thinking. Cayetano is driven by a desire to recover lost glory and power. He is consumed by overweening pride and ambition. This time, however, Cayetano stands on feet of mud. When he was the Speaker of the House, Cayetano made it the chamber’s priority to pursue personal and political concerns rather than the public’s interest. He orchestrated the rejection of the broadcast franchise for ABS-CBN, known for its unsparing reportage of the administration’s shortcomings. This act alone has far-reaching consequences, and strikes at the heart of our rights and freedoms.  If that were not disgraceful enough, Cayetano rewarded his House allies and himself with fat allocations for infrastructure even as the administration was scraping for funds to control the raging pandemic. None of these, however, approximate the scandalous heights of the Southeast Asian Games controversy. The allegedly overpriced cauldron was just the tip of the iceberg. There have been unanswered charges of overpricing, and a construction contract already flagged by the Commission on Audit (COA) for several irregularities. In November 2019, at the height of his arrogance, then Speaker Cayetano announced that he intends to write the COA to conduct an “independent special audit of all government funds used for the SEA Games.” He even dared the media that once the Games are over, “hold me accountable. Hold the SEA Games organizing committee accountable. Ako po ay hindi magtatago, ako po ang haharap (I will not hide, I myself will face the investigation).” We do not know if he indeed wrote the letter to COA for a special audit. We will not be surprised if he did not, given his predisposition to speak with a forked tongue. What we know is that last December 28, in a report published in the online edition of this paper, it was reported that the COA, in the course of its audit of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC), issued notices of suspension on the still unliquidated financial assistance extended by the  PSC to Cayetano’s foundation amounting to over P2 billion. Should the PSC and the Philippine SEA Games Organizational Committee Foundation Inc. (Philsgoc) fail to the submit the necessary documents, the COA would, as part of the process, issue notices of disallowances (NOD). This would mean that the disallowed transactions, in the words of the Supreme Court, are “deemed as irregular, unnecessary, excessive, extravagant, illegal or unconscionable expenditures or uses of government funds and property.” Those responsible for these transactions will be ordered to return the amount involved to the government, without prejudice to the filing of cases. This is not the first time that Cayetano has used his political loyalties to seek refuge from any form of public accountability. In 2014, the Ombudsman was asked to investigate acts of graft and corruption committed by then Senator Cayetano over the questionable use of his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), among them the purchase of allegedly overpriced service vehicles and dealing with an unlicensed supplier. Interestingly, the complaint observed that, coinciding with these questionable purchases, Cayetano’s net worth increased “by almost 50 percent in 2011, that is, from P15.8 million in 2010 to P23.210 million in 2010.” The complaint noted: “However, based on the SALN (Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth) and other available records of respondent Cayetano, the substantial and inordinate increase of almost P7.5 million in his net worth in 2011 is clearly not justified by his income as a public servant.” Despite the seriousness of the allegations, the complaint did not prosper. This was not surprising. Cayetano was then allied with the incumbent administration, a key player in the demolition campaign undertaken by a Senate sub-committee against myself and my family. Cayetano’s demeanor, even when he has fallen from power shows the confidence of an inside man. Being an ally and defender of this administration, he sees himself beyond the reach of accountability. He presumes that his political obeisance imbues him with invincibility, a license to commit acts inimical to public interest. He considers himself untouchable. A campaign against corruption, untainted by partisan considerations, is a campaign worth pursuing and supporting. But a campaign that is motivated by politics - mounted on a pile of lies; wielded to intimidate, malign, and harass political opponents while shielding allies - is a sham. And it would be tragic if the present administration takes this road. At this juncture, the present administration can prove its critics wrong. It can show that it is pursuing a path different from the previous regime by allowing the proverbial ax to fall even on its allies and supporters, particularly when evidence of malfeasance are so glaring. It should look no further than Cayetano. That would be a good way to start the year. [email protected]