Options for the Discayas, Quirantes, etc.

After the anguish brought by Tino, these contractors should have already crossed the Rubicons of their conscience. It’s time to tell all, expose all the congressmen and senators who used them, reveal all the DPWH scalawags who exploited them, never withhold any fact, never attempt to protect any trapo benefactor or protector.

Nobody today, including perhaps their own employees, close relatives and friends, would still believe that they are clean as a whistle. Now that they are beleaguered, the trapos have virtually abandoned them. They should fight back if only to redeem what remains of their dignity.

If unsolicited advice is to be considered by currently beleaguered multi-billionaire contractors, who were palpably favored with trillions worth of DPWH projects, we can offer to them three options: first, confess and tell all; second, confess but do not tell all; and third, deny to death, and fight a protracted legal battle, then win a la Enrile, Revilla, and Villanueva style. They can delay the process, manipulate the very inefficient and corrupt justice system, and hope to win an acquittal confidentially, and after 30 years when all the Filipinos shall have forgotten.

The way I look at all these is that the Discayas have already abandoned option one. Alan Quirante must still be contemplating. Most likely, the Discayas are going for the third option, and Quirante is still being confused by his family members, politician-friends and a long array of lawyers. The cleanest alternative, to my mind, is option one. If I were to counsel any or both of them and all similarly situated, I would propose to them to go for option one. The doors have been closed for the Discayas but they can be opened again.

Option one is good for their own souls, for their own consciences and is the most honest among the three alternatives. The Discayas and Quirantes should open their eyes and their minds to the hard and sad reality that their businesses are gone. They and their children and families are already condemned by all civic-minded Filipinos. They have already lost their good names, their future, and even their properties. Their assets are frozen. The whole government is watching all their movements. They don’t have many alternatives left.

The Discayas and Quirantes shouldn’t believe their own sycophants and parasites who are the ones to benefit from a long and expensive legal battle. This is a matter of personal and spiritual decision-making. They should examine their own souls and consciences. If at all, they should admit that they committed heinous and grievous crimes against the people and the state, if that is the truth. They committed mortal sins before God and before their fellowmen if that is really what they did. They should retract whatever affidavits they have signed that didn’t tell the whole truth.

These beleaguered contractors have already been prejudged by most of the people. The prosecutors are preparing to expose them in open court. All their bank accounts are frozen or are going to be frozen. Their helicopters and luxury cars are going to be sold in public auctions. Their names have already been maligned by the unforgiving mainstream and social media. They have almost nothing left but their sense of human dignity and decency, if still any. They should tell all, expose all and not withhold any fact or protect any other person.

If they opt for option two, then they would be condemning themselves while allowing the dirty politicians to go scot-free. That would be totally unfair to them and to their own families. If they go for option three, they might not live a long life to see the light of day when they are already more than 101 years old, like Enrile, to gain acquittal, when all people have already forgotten and all the prosecutors and judges have already died and shall have been replaced by new ones who are unfamiliar with the facts.

Whatever their lawyers would say, if I were the Discayas and the Quirantes, I would choose option one. It’s the best one for their own peace of mind and readiness to meet God and face the Filipino people. After all, the Discayas and the Quirantes might not have been the most guilty. The senators, congressmen and DPWH scoundrels might have been the worst Rasputins of them all.

It is the right time to do the right thing for the right reason.