Editorial

The talented Mr. Resado

WHAT are we to make of a state prosecutor?s refusal to answer questions about P800,000 deposited in his bank account, one day after he submitted a resolution to release three affluent drug suspects?

In his testimony before the House of Representatives earlier, State Prosecutor John Resado insisted that the money came from a money-lending business operated by his family. He has also denied allegations that he accepted a bribe to release Richard Brodett, Jorge Joseph and Roseph Tecson who were arrested last year for drug pushing and possession.

Mr. Resado?s protestations would be more credible, if only he were more forthcoming about the source of his funds.

Yet Mr. Resado, whose job it is to prosecute criminals, says with a straight face that there is nothing wrong with hiding these funds from government scrutiny. His reason?that he need not declare that income because it comes from the ?informal sector??beggars belief. Our question to the state prosecutor is this: by the same definition, wouldn?t money earned from the sale of drugs, extortion and other forms of illicit trade be part of the ?informal economy?? Aren?t these the reason we have laws against money-laundering?

Summoned again to face questioning yesterday, Mr. Resado refused to answer any more questions about his bank deposits, invoking the sub-judice rule and his right against self-incrimination.

The truth is, the talented Mr. Resado is in a bind. Even if he has not taken a single centavo in exchange for the release of the so-called Alabang Boys, he cannot avoid responsibility for the non-declaration of his income.

Accordingly, the House oversight committee has recommended that the Ombudsman file charges against the state prosecutor of tax evasion and failure to register his ?informal? lending business with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

The government regularly prosecutes ordinary citizens for such offenses. It seems inconceivable for a state prosecutor to now defend these same violations, simply because he is being accused of them. Now that takes real talent.