'Social volcano'

What some would call a restive social volcano may be close to erupting as public anger rises over the billions of pesos lost in corruption-ridden flood control and other infrastructure projects.

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All told, the state has only managed to do arguably only small steps, compared to the gravity of the problem: the President going on a blitz visiting anomalous projects and inviting the public to send information, two contractors banned for life, district engineers dismissed from the service, certain individuals placed on immigration watchlists, both houses of Congress starting their investigations, and the customs bureau seizing dozens of cars owned by one contractor.

As of today, despite the immense power of the state supposedly focused on this issue, no one has been charged or brought to court.

The contractors are in a position to save themselves, but only if they volunteer to be state witnesses against other contractors but also officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways and lawmakers involved in this scandal. We hope they take this route because the hearings of either House ultimately save lawmakers and tell the public that the contractors alone did it.

The same fate could befall former and current district engineers and other DPWH officials, so they should really think hard on what they are about to say or do in the investigations.