It is a silence that is palpable. One could almost touch or feel it.
The Department of Justice Prosecutor has announced that subpoenas may be issued this week against former prisoners Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla for plunder complaints filed against them in connection with the flood control mess. The nation heals and will continue to do so if they get convicted.
But the nation will not heal as yet. Why are there no charges against Chiz Escudero and Joel Villanueva?
A netizen boldly asks: Is government wavering on Escudero and Villanueva? Is there an orchestrated move to absolve them from complicity in the flood control scam? Has Escudero used his reported closeness to Liza Araneta Marcos to whitewash his case? Do Escudero and Villanueva have the goods against President Marcos Jr. that prevents him from pursuing their prosecution?
These are questions being asked by concerned citizenry who are on the verge of believing that the investigations will be a Napoles Part 2: only Sara Discaya will be jailed as sacrificial lamb but not those in the higher echelons of government who were the principal burglars and kleptomaniacs of government money.
The Senate Blue Ribbon Chair Sen. Panfilo Lacson has announced over the weekend that the businessman Maynard Ngu is among 12 issued subpoenas by the Senate president to appear in this week’s hearing.
Now Maynard Ngu is no ordinary Tom, Dick or Harry. He is a tech billionaire, the CEO of Cosmic Technologies that manufactures Cherry Mobile phones. He eventually became a government envoy – in March 2023, Marcos Jr. appointed him as special envoy to Red China for trade, investment and tourism.
We await Ngu’s testimony with bated breath for a very good reason. Ngu can make or break Escudero. Former Public Works Undersecretary Roberto Bernardo has revealed much: former senators Grace Poe, Nancy Binay, Sonny Angara, and incumbent Mark Villar had participation in flood control corruption.
But Bernardo also revealed that Ngu was Escudero’s bagman.
First off, Ngu’s name surfaced when it came out that he donated P30 million to Escudero’s election campaign in 2022.
Then Bernardo testified that “the complete list of projects for Escudero is worth P1.4 billion with 20 percent commitment.”
“Sometime early 2025, I made the first delivery of P160 million for Sen. Escudero at the Cherry Mobile building of Maynard Ngu in Apacible St., Manila,” Bernardo said.
“Thereafter, early 2025, I made the second delivery of P120 million for Escudero also at the Cherry Mobile building of Maynard Ngu,” he added.
Ngu will be up against the prevailing public opinion on thieving senators and congressmen, that they commit crimes easily, betray the public trust as easily, and then manipulate the legal process in exchange for political alliances. In the process, they are perpetuated in power.
Will Maynard Ngu go against the political tide? Will he tell the truth this week about Chiz Escudero? What has he got to fear? A jailed Escudero cannot play vengeance on Ngu’s very profitable Cherry Mobile. If may even up the ante on his business from the favorable public sympathy it will generate.
But if Ngu chooses to protect Escudero in the Senate hearing, a public-wide boycott can bring him to his knees, and the death of his business. That is very possible.
And then the Filipino people can then kiss these investigations goodbye as nothing but charades.
The public that wants the heads of Escudero and Villanueva will not make compromises.
The views in this column are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of VERA Files.
