For the past weeks, the prosecutors from Central Luzon have been threatening to go on mass leave in protest for the unfair and unfounded accusation against their colegues who are involved in the Alabang Boys scandal.

Today, in the news paper, Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño came out and declared that he had convinced the same prosecutors against proceeding on their planned mass action.

Who are these people fooling?

The Filipino masa who do not know that under the law, people in the public service are not allowed to stage a strike.

This gimik of taking a mass leave was resorted to to project an image to the public that the office of the prosecution in Central Luzon, especially its chief, Jovencito Zuño, are trust worthy individuals. As such they can get “insulted” and “hurt” by the “unfounded” accusations.

Now, Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño is posturing as a hero by relieving the public of the chaos and the deservice the mass action might have caused. He convinced the prosecutors not to stage the strike!

But Zuño must know better. Indeed, he knows better and he knew it. So he tries to stage a drama wherein he will end up a hero.

Tell it to the marines, Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño. You are the lawyer of the people. You are supposed to protect them from people who mislead to prevent them from attaining their cause.

But as it turns out, you are the very person the masa should protect themselves against.

Mass leave, an intended distraction

Contestants who are losing the battle resort to distraction. This tactic is not new, and was even used by John McCain in the latest American election. Obama was getting more and more attention, and McCain’s camp sensed the danger of losing. So, they brought up the issue of race using Reverend Jeremiah Wright as their spring board. From there, they accused Barack Obama as racist. Barack Obama faced the issue head on and delivered the “A perfect Union” speech where he dispelled the accusation and proved to the American public that he deserved to be their next president.

The prosecutors led by Chief State Prosecutor Jovencito Zuño are also resorting to the tactic used by John McCain. To take the heat of the public attention and disgust against Zuño and his minions for their involvement in the Alabang Boys scandal, they resorted to gimmick. They threatened to stage a mass leave–another name for strike–scheduled for next week.

The threat to stage a mass leave is just an indication that these supposed to be public servants are not ready to face and tackle the issues thrown against them. Instead of resorting to gimmickry, why don’t these prosecutors shut up, conduct an inhouse investigation and clean their ranks?