TO my recollection, after living and residing in the province for many, many years now, I have not heard of an instance where a politician, or a public official for that matter, has voluntarily and unconditionally issued a notarized declaration waiving his rights to secrecy under the Bank Secrecy law.
The Bank Secrecy law guarantees confidentiality of all deposits, including investments in government bonds because these are considered as strictly confidential. The law also declares illegal for any bank employee or official to reveal information about these deposits to anyone other than those authorized by law. In fact, any violation of the bank secrecy law is punishable with an imprisonment for up to 5 years or a fine of 20,000 or both.
This means that a waiver of the bank secrecy law provides an opening for an account to be probed for any illegal transaction.
It’s like saying, okay, am fair game for an investigation of my bank deposits, go ahead, you can check my bank deposits and see if there is anything illegal in there.
Of course, when you waive your right to bank secrecy, the implication is that you are clean and completely unafraid, or your bank deposits are legally sourced, and not considered as the “fruit of the poisonous tree.”
So, going back to the first line of this episode, what is the point of this mental exercise?
I was/am simply amazed, and very appreciative, of the very valiant, bold and straightforward act of Tagbilaran City Vice Mayor Adam Relson Jala in executing a notarized waiver of the bank secrecy law.
By doing so, he was announcing to all and sundry that enough of the talks about transparency and accountability, let us walk the talk.
And thru this column, I say bravo VM Jala, your selfless act has restored my faith in government officials; I hope your brave act will serve as inspiration to all politikos in the province to also do the same.
May your tribe increase VM Jala, hinaot pa unta nga mosunod ug mosuhid sab ang ubang mga politiko.
Any takers?
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Sus, kon tan-awon nimo ang ubang mga politiko nga mosimba ug magluhod sa simbahan, moapil sa prosesyon ug magpa-bendisyon sa Pari, mora gyod og tinuod, mora gyod og mao lagi.
Kon pangutan-on bahin sa pangurakot, susko, manguros pa unya wa’g tuo nga mobatikos sa mga kurakot. Unya balik-balikon dayon ang iyang saad sa kampanya nga andam siya mobatok sa pangurakot.
Pero kutob ra diha ang iyang buhaton – sulti ra taman.
Sa buhat, nada, zero, zilch, wala. Kutob ra sa storya pero wa gyod buhata.
Lisod ug di gyod niya mahimo ang sama sa gibuhat ni VM Adam Jala nga andam mopakita sa iyang deposito sa bangko pagmatuod nga way hukos-pukos ang iyang tinagoang kwarta.
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Para nako, mas undanon ug mas makahuloganon ang gihimo ni VM Jala kon ikomparar sa gipanulti sa mga miapil sa krusada batok sa korapsiyon sa miaging domingo diha sa plaza sa siyudad.
Nindot paminawon ug abibahan ang mga gipamulong sa mga miyawyaw sa maong krusada, pero sa tinuod lang, kanunay na kini gibalik-balik pagsulti, puol na paminawon kay wa man gyod naundang o nahunong ang pangurakot.
Nagka-grabe na man gani hinuon.
Kon pulos lang yawyaw, wa gyoy maayong resulta.
Kon buhaton sab sa mga politiko sa Bohol ang susama sa gibuhat ni VM Jala, dako ang akong pagtuo nga usa kini ka lig-on ug positibo nga buhat batok sa pangurakot.
Mahimo kaha kini o lisod buhaton?
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Sa una nga wala pa kini buhata, wa gyoy bisan usa nga gusto mag-una kay initan unya o kasuyaan sa uban ug ingnon nga nagpa-papel lang.
Pero karon nga naa na si VM Jala, dili na man tingali angay mahadlok.
So again, I am calling all the other politikos in Bohol, suhira daw ninyo ang gibuhat ni VM Jala beh.
Say, who is willing to do a Jala, eyes to the board and raise your hand beh?
