Rehabilitation: Could be rigged?

Today, the country is again trapped in another quagmire brought about by the recent tragedies.  Aggravated by a spate of kidnappings, acts of terrorism as well as election-related carnages, the entire nation is again on top of the world’s media outfits’ international headlines, well, for reasons that are so unpalatable.

Indeed, the past three years have been marked with unforgiving catastrophes, endless banditries, notorious kidnappings, ruthless killings and senseless bombings even in places of worship.  While the worst year of a quarter of a decade of tragedies (both manmade and natural) is about to end, only the “time-bound” year ends, the worries and hates will certainly linger.  Hopefully, we can just find some solace on the fact that it is December.  The month of peace and rejoicing, of  forgiving.

Just like many tragedies in the past, however, the recent tragedies also brought about the best character in most of us, generosity.  Sadly, however, some traditional politicians took advantage of our brethrens’ misfortune by letting the voting population know of their superficial concerns through massive exploitation of  photo opportunities.  On the other hand, some sectors took some religious spins on this tragedy. Probably because most structures that are crushed to the ground or rendered useless by the earthquake are catholic churches.  Moreover, some have claimed that Yolanda’s wrath was prophesied.  That it was so accurate.

Whatever the personal motives or interpretations shall be, the fact remains that scientifically, natural tragedies do happen once in a while and depending on its strength, may or may not bring about destruction to anyone.  If  it does happen, however, the weaker structures will suffer the most.

Notably, to some extent, nature has also conspired with well-meaning citizens, to do good as well, in unearthing potential anomalies.  For one, as photos reveal, some kilometers of damaged concrete roads and bridges in Bohol don’t have or have insufficient steel bars.  The same is true in Cebu, where the six-year old Cebu International Convention Center’s (CICC) interiors crumbled.  Apparently, poorly built, these roads, bridges and structures cannot withstand temblors of such magnitude.  Thus, certainly, when these infrastructures were built, some unscrupulous people must have siphoned enough money and rendered actual construction destruction-bound.

With this in mind, as reconstruction begins, we have more reasons to worry.  It is a known fact that politicians wield so much power especially in the countryside.  Most of them are astute businessmen too.  They own types of  business establishments that heavily deal with the needs of both national and local governments. These are mostly construction related like hardware and sand and gravel.  Also, most local government units (LGUs) have heavy equipment so they (politicians) are opening gas stations as well.  With the LGUs’ Bids and Awards Committees (BACs) under their total control and co-bidders downright cohorts, they’ll surely win, albeit, under cover of their distant relatives’ or close friends’ names.  On the other hand, some LGUs would prefer to engage contractors instead of undertaking the projects themselves.  To this, we know, some politicians do have their own construction outfits too.  Thus, in both circumstances, the possibility that biddings will be rigged is very high.  Therefore, the likelihood that substandard projects will again sprout is an unavoidable reality. 

So that, with these practices imbedded in the system, even if  peace prevailed and both man-made destructions and nature’s wrath didn’t pervade, this month may not be worth rejoicing at all.  With basic needs too overwhelming, those who are even just wanting in food tend to loot to provide something to their loved ones.  On the contrary, some who are already living in filthy abundance will tend to accumulate more millions through their oft-repeated devious means, rigged biddings. 

For your comments and suggestions, please e-mail to [email protected].