The public clamor against excess in the pork barrel inquiry may have restored some sanity and sobriety to the inquisition. The hearing last Thursday featuring Dennis Cunanan looked positively deflated. Yellow ribbon chairman Teofisto Guingona had little to say. Cunanan had nothing significant to reveal. Puppeteer Leila de Lima had nothing to do. No truckloads and slam dunk announcements this time. Many senators were tongue-tied. The most talkative turned out to be, surprise-surprise, Sen. Grace Poe.

The sterling lesson here is that we the people (media and the public together) can, indeed, make congressional hearings accountable to the nation, in the same way that we can make public officials and public agencies accountable.

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