EDITORIAL - Results wanted

Most likely everyone has heard by now of this task force called for by President Rodrigo Duterte to investigate any and all allegations of corruption in the “entire government”.

To be led by the Department of Justice, the task force has been ordered to spare no one it its search for the truth.

“This is my second call for a total campaign against corruption. Iyong task force na nabuo ko, this time we will look into every department,” President Duterte was quoted as saying.

The first question that comes to our mind is why only now? In campaigning for the presidency, Duterte's platform promised to go after graft as well as corrupt officials. Is this some silent admission that he has not gone after corruption during his first four years in office?

Don’t get us wrong, a task force that will go look into all allegations of government corruption is a good idea, but it seems a little too late into this administration and after all the president’s promises. Not to mention a little suspicious considering the coming elections.

The second question many of us cannot help but ask is, after the investigation, then what will happen? There are so many instances where certain officials in high positions were found liable of certain crimes and allegedly charged for them.

But after that, nothing. There are no more further developments. There is no news of them getting convicted, sentenced, or serving time in prison.

In fact, in many cases, we find some of them being transferred to another plum position in the government, as if their integrity was never put in question in the first place.

Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra has his job cut out for him with the gargantuan task entrusted to him. With any luck, he will go beyond mere investigation and actually show some results. And by results we mean putting some people behind bars after sufficient evidence has been found and due process observed.