Instant gratification

Some quarters are complaining that the two chambers of Congress are going overboard in conducting investigations, saying these are no longer in aid of legislation.

There are, in truth, many cringe-worthy moments, for both the probers and those they are grilling. Last week some folks disgusted with the proceedings wondered if the grilling rooms could be equipped with exploding microphones, similar to the exploding pagers and walkie-talkies deployed against Hezbollah.

And yet we can see a high public tolerance for the congressional probes, including the scrutiny of the proposed budgets of certain agencies.

This is because the inquiries – which those being grilled describe as inquisitions – provide what Filipinos cannot get from the criminal justice system: speedy if not instant gratification in the search for truth, swift penalties for misbehavior, and the sight of the once high and mighty being cut down to size.

Congress also has oversight powers, which the lawmakers are invoking. The House of Representatives in particular is mandated to scrutinize the National Expenditure Program submitted annually by the executive in crafting the national budget or General Appropriations Act.

Even if it takes political bickering to expose fund misuse by certain officials, people are willing to take whatever can be served up by the times.

A witness, resource person or whatever word is used to describe anyone in the congressional hot seat won’t talk or submit documents? The person is cited in contempt, ordered arrested and detained (or hunted down). An agency head refuses to provide details about the proposed budget of the office? The agency gets the budget slashed by 60 percent.

Persons being grilled are asked point-blank about supposed romantic dalliances. Some of the probers are disgustingly salacious in their questioning, but it’s like watching a soap opera, playing out live.

If we wait for Philippine justice to take its normal course, it would take a generation before the complete picture in a controversy emerges and the culprits go to prison. Even when sufficient evidence establishes guilt beyond reasonable doubt, our justice system is malleable, heavily influenced by