The decision of the upscale private school, St. George, to not renew accused drug smuggler Quirino Paulino Castillo’s children’s enrollment (promoted to first, second and third grade) has put the spotlight on private education. Diario Libre in an editorial today asks if private schooling is “a subsidiary public service or a business based on laissez-faire?” Editorial writer Adriano Miguel Tejada comments that the issue really is the moral character of the private educational system. “At the same time, the affair puts on the table the hypocrisy that characterizes Dominican society,” he writes. He acknowledges that everyone has the right to not want their children or grandchildren to study with questionable people, but then asks, “Aren’t private schools full of children and grandchildren of this kind of people and we are not complaining.” “Don’t we have children of Latin American dictators, of assassins, thieves, scam artists, and corrupt characters of all types, attending the expensive schools while no one says a thing?” Tejada says that it is evident that we are governed by values of a very segmented society – racially, economically and politically. “This can also explain why every time we are confronted by the law, first thing we think of is to speak out: “Do you know who I am?” He points out that this topic should be debated in all schools if we want to become a more plural and democratic society.
On the same topic, Marino Zapete, the journalist who dared to denounce the Jarabacoa mansion built by former President Hipolito Mejia, also comments on the hypocrisy in Dominican society. “I bet that most of the parents of children who study at St. George School and the leading school of the wealthy in this country cannot explain the origin of their fortunes.” He speculated that they would not come out clean if the Department of Taxes decided to investigate how they obtained their wealth. “I’m willing to guess that in most cases, the schools for this country’s millionaires do not care about the origin of the money that the students’ parents pay, as long as there is no scandal that could damage these schools’ image.”
He wonders if the schools would expel the children of bankers, businessmen, military personnel and other personalities that participated – along with Quirino Paulino – in the money laundering, or the families of those who stole savers’ money in Baninter, Bancredito or Mercantil banks, more than RD$100 billion that has impoverished millions of Dominicans. He concludes his commentary, “My experience in life means I have no doubts about drug trafficking or any other kind of crime. Nevertheless, if I have to choose between a criminal like Quirino Paulino and the white collar criminals who show no respect for people since they have the ability to buy people, I have less contempt for Quirino.”
Meanwhile, former president of the National Council of Drugs, Marino Vinicio (Vincho) Castillo, when interviewed at the Indotel conference on ethics in the media today and asked to comment on the affair, told the Listin Diario that those who are concerned about the extradited drug smuggler’s children should spare a thought for the boys at the drug rehab center, Hogares Crea.
See debate on the Quirino kids at http://dr1.com/forums/showthread.php?t=40775