This is one question that ran through the minds of the Boholanos after last week's headline of the Philippines Daily Inquirer that listed lawmakers whose Priority Development Assistance (PDAF) amounting to P1.7 Billion from 2007 to 2009 were channeled for implementation through the National Agribusiness Corporation (NABCOR), an agency of the Department of Agriculture. NABCOR in turn contracted several non-government organizations (NGOs) of Janet Lim-Napoles, alleged mastermind of the multi-billion PDAF scam. Among those in the list of lawmakers whose PDAF has been channeled through NABCOR are the names of then congressmen Edgar M. Chatto, now governor of Bohol; Adam Relson Jala, now city councilor of Tagbilaran City, and Roberto Cajes who failed to get elected for a new term in Congress during the 2013 mid-term elections. Another prominent name identified by whistle blower Rhodora Mendoza, former vice president for finance of NABCOR, is then Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, now congressman of the third district of Bohol.

With prominent Boholano leaders now implicated in the PDAF scam, the people are now raising these questions. These leaders have been and are perceived to be good leaders, that is why they have been elected and re-elected by the Boholano electorate to high positions in government. Are they good guys gone bad and then turned good again? Or are they just misrepresented by the circumstances of the PDAF scam that up to now puzzle the Filipino people how billions of the people's money could be absconded by the evil and corrupt without being detected or traced for many years? We have yet to hear any of those accused and implicated in the PDAF scam admit their wrongdoing, which should make the wheels of justice grind even slower. But we know that sooner or later (we sincerely hope it will be sooner) the long arm of justice will catch up with the guilty in order that justice will be served. But even if it comes sooner, that sooner may have to count several decades in which case those accused and implicated can still amass more millions. If a high school dropout can think of ways to dip one's finger to the cookie jar without being caught for years, the college graduates, masters and doctorate degree holders and bar topnotchers in government and especially in Congress will know how to do it and escape conviction even when caught.

In the face of their denial against accusations of graft and corrupt practices Gov. Chatto, Congressman Yap, Councilor Jala and Atty. Cajes, who is now a private person, owe it to the Boholanos, if not to the Filipinos, to give proof of their innocence. Mere verbal denial is no longer enough now that there are records to show their PDAF allocation were channeled to the fake Napoles NGOs. It is not difficult to convince the Boholanos of their innocence if they can provide a list of the projects they have implemented and the list of beneficiaries who can vouched to have benefited from the projects. Surely the beneficiaries are still alive to tell their story. Until then the Boholanos can give them the benefit of the doubt because they have shown genuine care for the people. For now they can consider the publication linking their names to the NABCOR and PDAF scam bad publicity because after all publicity, whether good or bad, is still publicity. NOTES. This week is graduation week. To all the graduating students in high school and in college, Congratulations. Use your new knowledge and skills to better our society by adhering to the virtues and principles that your school stands for. Never tread the path of the evil and the corrupt that have brought shame to our country and people. Be the hope of the fatherland that our national hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal has once described you.