If it was illegal, why not prosecute?

DFA Secretary Locsin might be misinformed regarding the issues of renewing passports. This is according to former DFA secretary Yasay. It is impossible for Francois-Charles Oberthur Fiduciare to run away with the information they held. The information in question might be in Lipa, Batangas, where the database was transferred from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Yasay added that he knew that the new contractor, the APO Production Unit (APO), illegally subcontracted the work to United Graphic Expression Corp. (UGEC). It happened in 2015, supposedly under former DFA secretary Albert del Rosario. Del Rosario is withholding comment and is confident in the direction of Secretary Locsin. No statement or input yet from former DFA secretary Cayetano.

Yasay, however, said that President Duterte was informed, but decided to do nothing about it “for the greater good.” He cited the inconvenience of a lawsuit against the passport maker. He just wanted the process amended, and for the long lines to be gone. DFA Secretary Locsin did agree that the data was not taken away by Oberthur. But he says they cannot access the database, and whatever they could access was corrupted. But in this day and age of technology, is it not possible to do that, especially after four years since APO and UGEC came into the picture? And if you’re asking why not let Oberthur help in accessing the data, they won’t be paid. They were already supposedly working for free before APO and UGEC, so they might not want to come back.

Locsin added that old passports of those seeking renewal should be sufficient information for the DFA. I concur. If a passport was already issued, why still need a birth certificate to prove the identity of the person renewing? Who should be investigated are the so-called “powerful lawmakers from Congress” who refused to cancel or investigate the hiring of UGEC by APO, saying there was nothing wrong with the contract. Yasay did not name these lawmakers. If presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo said in February 2017 that it was illegal for APO to subcontract the work to UGEC in processing passports, why didn’t they go after them and prosecute them? Locsin says the situation got worse under the last administration, so why not go after them? We all know how this administration relishes blaming the past administration. Two years have passed since Panelo declared it illegal, but nothing was done. I thought they despised corruption, declaring that from their high pedestal. Or does it depend on who is involved? How many of these lawmakers have jumped ship over to this administration? Or is it because Duterte said to leave it alone? Was it being left alone until it blew up in their faces? Isn’t the sin of omission just as bad as the sin of commission?