Honest men in the House

YOU’VE probably heard of the joke about a congressman’s wife who was awakened by strange noises in the kitchen in the middle of the night.

She tried to rouse her husband from deep slumber and whispered to his ear, “Honey, there’s a thief in the house.”

The congressman, still half asleep, whispered back, “Darling, there’s no thief in the House.”

*** But are there honest men in the House of Representatives? An Inquirer report said there are at least two confirmed honest men in the House.

But they’re not lawmakers, they’re janitors who work under contract at Philcare Manpower and stationed at the Batasang Pambansa complex in Quezon City.

Now Diogenes need not walk in the halls of the House carrying a lamp in daytime to look for an honest man.

*** Crispin Jasareno, 36, and Michael Mark Quimora, 29, were commended for returning P19,500 in cash they found on the seat of Cebu sixth district Rep. Jonas Cortes on Wednesday.

Jasareno said it never crossed his mind to pocket the money. He and Quimora went to congressman’s office, but his staff told them their boss never even realized the money was gone.

Benjamin Franklin once said, “Virtue is its own reward.” But these two honest men should be rewarded if only to serve as models to our lawmakers.

*** President Rody Duterte last week said there was a plot by a “yellow group” to oust him.

But days after the presentation of self-confessed hit man Edgar Matobato in the Senate hearings on extrajudicial killings, Sen. Leila de Lima was ousted as Senate justice committee chair.

De Lima didn’t even know there’s a plot to oust her.

*** De Lima, in a privilege speech on Tuesday, shot back at those who she said were fabricating evidence against her, presenting before the House probe convicted criminals and officials who have an axe to grind against her. “Your day will come,” she said. But her day came ahead of theirs.