FRANCISCO S. TATAD
FRANCISCO S. TATAD

ON the day this column said the smoke of corruption has entered certain circles close to the President, Malacañang confirmed it by “firing” Peter Laviña, the chief of the National Irrigation Administration, for alleged “corruption.” The presidential spokesman subsequently corrected President Rodrigo Duterte’s statement by saying that Laviña had resigned for his own self-protection. People I know who personally know Laviña tend to accept Ernesto Abella’s explanation—only by getting out could Laviña, in their view, avoid the illegal pressures from Cabinet superiors. They knew Laviña as a highly principled NDF member; as DU30’s campaign spokesman, he did his job better than his official successors are doing their jobs right now. But the smoke of corruption does not begin nor end with Laviña; it deserves a more focused investigation.

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