Website for anti-Arroyo whistleblowers launched

With the fate of the Aquino administration's Truth Commission still in the air, foes of former president and current Pampanga representative Gloria Arroyo launched Friday a website encouraging whistleblowers to disclose information online. The Para sa Bansa website was launched at the Club Filipino in San Juan City Friday morning, according to a report by radio dzBB's Sam Nielsen. The website was set up by the July 1, 2010 Movement, spearheaded by retired Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and "running priest" Fr. Roberto Reyes. The July 1, 2010 Movement was named in reference to Arroyo's first day of office in Congress, the same day she filed a resolution seeking to amend the 1987 Philippine constitution. As of Friday morning, the new website featured an online bulletin board where whistleblowers are encouraged to bare all. The July 1, 2010 Movement - Para sa Bansa said that the website allows ordinary citizens to report corruption without necessarily being identified or appearing in public. "After reporting the instance of corruption via the website, their complaint will be handled by IT experts and concerned citizens who will corroborate the reliability of the reports," the movement said. "Whistle blowers undertake a burden that has little or no reward other than the belief that they had done the right thing. Yet, because of the dangers, the lack of appreciation, the heartache whistle blowers are becoming increasingly rare. The average person certainly would not willingly want to experience the loss and deprivation that is the natural consequence of exposing corruption. Little had been done to protect them. Until now," it added. Lim is to "periodically and publicly" release reports on the group’s findings so that the concerned parties may act to address the incidents. The website was launched barely a week after the Supreme Court thumbed down President Benigno Aquino III's first executive order creating the Truth Commission. Malacañang is now studying its options on the matter. - TJD, GMANews.TV