Paredes on Carlos Saunar

Good point by Ducky:

What can we say about our system of justice when Carlos Saunar, the head of the NBI Western Mindanao Regional Office has been sacked? Saunar is currently on the witness stand in the trial of President Joseph Estrada, testifying to the fact that he has found no links that would put the excise tax money stolen by Chavit Singson in the hands of Erap.

The P130 million was taken from the Ilocos Sur government's vaults. Chavit says that he gave the money to Atong Ang to deliver to Erap. It has always been an unlikely story. A Chavit will not trust that amount of money to an Atong.

For someone like Chavit to trust Atong with so much money is not possible, especially that Chavit says that they were in Atong's car on the way to Erap's Polk Street residence when Atong told him that he should disembark since someone might recognize him at the Estrada residence. According to Chavit's fairly tale, he realized this immediately and alighted from the vehicle.

Of course, this is a lie.

But that is not the point. Saunar's relief is apparently a signal to the rest of the government that testifying to the truth will be punished. I can see the point of the government. After all, we cannot encourage whistle-blowers. What will happen to us if someone wants to testify against the Pidals? Imagine if someone will testify against Big Mike. Imagine if someone will testify about Little Mike.

Can this government survive that?

No good deed goes unpunished indeed.