On Criticizing Both Sides: Am I salawahan?

With all these hoolabaloos on CGMA lately, I have been very active in voicing out my opinion. I have participated and initiated online conversations in FB and Twitter and I have to say that engaging online is a level field for all of us. What made me sad though is the way how I was called "salawahan" by some of our friends and say that my opinion is just a swayed parlance in order for me "to suck to the people who matters".

Let me address this allegation by clarifying my stand on these issues.

First, I am totally against the Secretary of Justice's act defying the Temporary Restraining Order issued by the Supreme Court. I reiterate that this is a desperate move by a panicking government afraid that their opponent is about to run the hell out of the country. It only showsthat the current administration is will to transgress the basic doctrine of Separation of Powers just to cover up their inadequacies.

Having been firm with the above-stated-- and please note that I do not try to play lawyer while opining as such-- I have to make it clear that my stand does not automatically make me pro-Arroyo. In a facebook group, I agree with the comment that Sec De Lima's action is now beyond Arroyo-- which brings me to my next point.

I have also been voicing my concern about Arroyo's lawyer playing doctor in the recent interviews. Claiming that because of the patient-doctor confidentiality, the doctors are forced to keep their mouth shut about the medical abstract of the former President. Due to this, we now see Lambino and Elena Bautista-Horn saying that CGMA is too sick to be in a detention facility but not too sick to be allowed for a house arrest. It is funny how they said those statements in just a span of a week. It made me suspicious about this miraculous turn of Cgma's condition from life-threatening to  ok-enough-to-be-out-of-hospital-arrest within just few days. And I did not fail to also voice out my opinion especially when Lambino, in effect, admitted that what they're saying about Gloria's condition are overheards from the conversation between the ex-President and her doctors.

I understand where the "salawahan" comment comes from especially that it is obvious that I criticized both sides but I was hurt with the allegation that my opinions are only being said because i want to suck up to somebody. I have to make it clear that all of my opinions are my own and however unqualified I am to make such opinion is not anyone's business. It is because I do not pretend to be an expert on any field. As I have understood, my opinions are protected by the Constitution and should be respected. After all, I have never disrespected my attackers' opinion.

One thing I have learned from my dear friend Tita Beth Angsioco is that we should evaluate political figures by issue and not by hasty generalizations. I always keep this in mind and I hope by writing this post, you may understand where I am coming from. Also, I would want to clarify that I blog on my own accord and I am neither paid nor do this to please anybody. I blog because, simply, I can-- and nothing more

SC vs DOJ: This is more than the Arroyo's

With all these PNOY vs GMA and SC vs DOJ thing happening on the news, I have been very active in online discussions. Maybe I owe this blog some content so I am posting my comment  from the Filipino Freethinkers Facebook Page.




posted by Marc Losoa:
SC vs DOJ, who was right? Was SC ruling on TRO justified and that the DOJ blocking Arroyos were illegitimate or was it not? Discuss.


my comment:


Okay here's my two cents here. Let's assume that GMA wants to run away from the country and leave for good.

Had the government done their job in filing the case and bringing it to the court immediately, all these hullabaloos will not be happening. What PNOY and his minions did is that they spend so much time appearing in the television in hopes that the people might perceive them working when actually they did not. What we witnessed the past few days is PANIC. Panic because they were outwitted by the Arroyo's.

Arroyo has the finest in her battery of lawyers, PR people etc. They know what they are doing and they know how to make lusot by using technicalities. On the other hand, we have a government of grandstanders acting out like they are in the Pinoy Big Brother House. We have grandstanders in the House of the Representatives and Ping Lacson in the Senate. Further, the communications group are making things worse!

This is not about Arroyo anymore-- this is about how the government wiling to transgress the power of the Judiciary just to cover up its inadequacies.


***


As a non-lawyer, I can only say something based on my limited understanding of the Constitution. As I understand it,  when Supreme Court says something, it must have been done as they dictate how a law should be interpreted. What the Secretary of Justice did is an obvious transgression of the principle of Separation of Powers. The Constitution says-- I just don't know what specific provision it is-- that in such cases, the DOJ's hold departure order will be deemed null and void and the SC's TRO will prevail.

With all the testicle-betting and the I'll-have-my-head-chopped-off happening now between the two camps, a Constitutional Crisis might come in (or has it happening right now?). The only question right now is, What kind of government we have?

DSWD spin fail: CCT is dole out--no more, no less

This refers to Ms. Ana Marie Daep's letter entitled "DSWD's CFW not CCT; it's investment not dole out" (Inquirer, 10/22/2011).

I was disturbed by the fact that DSWD seemed to be annoyed by how CCT is being branded as "dole-out". Ms Daep, OIC of the Social Marketing Service of DSWD, said, "..CCT is not a dole out but a form of investment in human capital...". Well to tell them frankly, the letter was a big sugar-coating fail because CCT is definitely not a "form of investment ek-ek". CCT is a dole out simply because you give the money directly to the beneficiaries, hoping that they will spend it by buying their basic needs all the while knowing that they won't do it anyway. 

The letter appeared as an effort to euphemize the bitter pill that they can't obviously take. Certainly, their definition of the CCT is failing them as their beneficiaries remain jobless and poverty-stricken. A few thousand pesos given monthly can hardly pass as "investment" considering the current state of our nation. Further, we hear news of ATM cards being pawned, the money being used in gambling, vices and not for their basic needs, etc. So where does the term "investment" apply in those situations?

DSWD should call a spade a spade and realize that CCT is a dole-out-- nothing more, nothing less. The DSWD is is just doing a stunt no different than what Wille Revillame does in his show. Funny how the DSWD tries to put a positive spin to it just because they themselves are under the illusion of CCT's grandeur. Again, CCT is a dole out because, as cliched as it is, it does not teach the poor how fishing is done: DSWD is just giving them the fish-- and the fish, still, is not sufficient enough. 

Impeach raps vs Merci goes to plenary

After exhaustive debate on due process and on the existence of probable cause, the House Committee on Justice finally ruled on the existence of probable cause on the two impeachment complaints against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, 39-9-1; 39-6-1. During the said voting, Rep. Rodolfo Farinas, Vice-Chair of the Committee on Justice, received a text message from Speaker Sonny Belmonte saying that the Supreme Court junks with finality Merci's motion for reconsideration, voting 7-5-2. With these, the Committee will draft the articles of impeachment and will bring it on the plenary for debates that will start on March 15-16.

So where will Merci go now? Apparently, with her discourtesy and arrogance, the Ombudsman has no choice but to face these raps on her. She has no one on her side now (well, except her nunal).

I do really hope this case will turn out favorable for the Filipinos.

Nagmemeron Awardee:
> Rep. Em Aglipay's bedroom voice. (Hot)
> Rep. Cagas quotes on the Bible, "He who has not sinned cast the first stone." Then walks out (again!).
> Rep. Lagman shows the two feet high files submitted by the Ombudsman in reply. The stack was called "Obstruction of Justice"
>Rep. Lagman abstinence on the voting.
***
UPDATE: March,10

Amidst the hype of having the impeachment charges against Merci on the "off-to-plenary" level (historical indeed!), the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, headed by Sen. TG Guingona, released their recommendations after the investigation on the Garcia Plunder Case. One of the recommendations of the Committee is for the impeachment of Gutierrez. He even asked her to spare the country and resign from her post.

Although there are remarks that the Senate should have not said that this early because of the fairness issue about the ongoing impeachment raps vs Merci, I definitely agree on the call for her to resign. Having her tainted credibility, it would be easier for all of us if she will step down. After all, how can she suppose to fully commit on her post as the Ombudsman if she is busy enough protecting herself.

Let's just see what will happen next.

The Cagas Holy Spirit Excuse

During the House Committee on Justice Impeachment Proceedings vs Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, the gentleman from Davao del Sur Douglas Cagas, having raised a motion to defer the proceedings, said this following remarks:

"We must exercise fairness and be guided by the Holy Spirit"

In lieu of this. Risa Hontiveros tweeted:

"Rep Cagas: We shld b guided by d Holy Spirit. Mawalang galang Lang po, pero parang ibang espirito ang gumagabay sa inyo".

To Mr. Cagas, your attempt to delay is very futile. Can't argue that much? Hahaha. Sorry the committee will deliberate next week. Poor you! You seem like a joke in the proceedings.

When Amnesia Becomes an Excuse

Listening and watching to the live stream of the Senate hearing on alleged corruption in the Armed Forces of the Philippines is like sitting in a law school lecture. There, senators interrogates-- and sometimes in showing off-- the AFP officials on how come they amassed such amounts of wealth from their meager (relatively speaking) salaries as a soldier. There, we could see Miriam Defensor Santiago hurls fiery and wittingly funny statements hence serving her another set of death threats for her breakfast. There, we saw how Antonio Trillanes misaligned his choice of words that would (indirectly) yield to Angie Reyes's dramatic suicide a cote de his mother's grave. And there, annoyingly, we could see how these crocodilius generals, especially Carlos Garcia, resort to their safest excuse not to "incriminate" themselves by resorting to a peculiar situation involving selective amnesia.

"Nakalimutan ko po. (I have forgotten)" "Hindi ko po alam" (I do not know). "Wala po akong matandaan na binigyan ako ng 50 million pesos". (I could not remember that I was given 50 million pesos). That is all we can here from these gahamans when confronted with questions pertaining to properties and bank accounts which are allegedly coming from their intricate corruption through the AFP funds.

Today in the senate, Ret. Gen Jacinto Ligot, the then AFP comptroller during Angie's time, was on cross fire. Senator Drilon presented the deed of sale of a certain property in Essenza Towers in Bonifacio Global City which was sold to Limot este Ligot's brother-in-law by Ligot himself. When asked to confirm whether it was Ligot's signature on the document, the bucktoothed replied "It seems to be my signature", implying that someone used his name and forged his signature to close that 25 million peso sale. Also presented in the hearing was the 135 million withdrawals of Ligot and his family and his not filing of income tax return for years, (which he reasoned out that he hasn't any income for those years. No income your face Ligot!)

How annoyingly they can get when answering these question. I agree with Sen. Estrada's remark. These people are already caught red-handed with these evidences yet they could still sit upright in the senate hearing and lie with their ugly faces in front of the public. Yes they are technically still innocent but you can see through their aura's that they are trying as hard as they can to confuse the public even more. What is irritating more than hearing Garcia saying "I invoke my rights against self-incrimination"? By God, ang kakapal ng mukha.

The public knows that the evidences and testimonies presented in the probe are sufficiently strong enough to convict these generals, contrary to the prosecutors arguments. The only question here is that, will the senate do something about this after the investigations. The public do really need some action going and wants these faces behind bars the soonest the possible. I just hope that there is a way for these general for them to remember the things they have done so that justice may be served. However, I could not deny that it is entertaining to see these generals' faces when confronted with a fact. They never failed to give me a good laugh.


PS. Could I just commend the senators, especially, Sen Drilon for doing his homework. Cheers to you Big Man!

Willie for Senate is not a good idea

Recently, I heard from rumors that Willie Revillame could run for a senatorial position in the 2010 Elections. Armed with the soaring popularity and adoration from the Filipinos especially those of the masses (due to his ever-famous show Wowowee, where huge amounts of money are given to people everyday, however, he has not yet affirmed this statement; but, he exclaimed in an interview that in "2010 may bago, abangan niyo".

On a recent poll conducted by Pulse Asia, Willie has "good chances for 2010 polls". Sampled from 1200 respresentative voters with plus/minus 3% error, clearly, the masses vie for him to run in the senate. They were askes: "Kung ang nasabing halalan sa 2010 ay isasagawa ngayon, sinu-sino sa mga sumusunod na personalidad ang inyong iboboto kung sakaling sila ay kakandidato sa pagka-senador? Puwede kayong pumili ng hanggang 12 panglan.”

I have nothing against Mr. Revillame-- he is indeed a kind-hearted person who has the passion to serve the people, to bring hapiness to the people. Yet, the question is not about his passion to serve, the question is about him as a person "fit" for that senatorial spot.

The Philippine Senate has its own history of celebreties sitting/ed on its seats. The popularity of this celebreties, obviously, paved them their way to have a place in it. However how they are rich and famous, we, the people rarely see them "actively" participating in the comings and goings in the senate (By saying 'actively' participating, it means that they know the processes of legislation). Indeed, we see them, hypocritely, donating tons of money to this foundations and that foundations (though good, but for there own gain), passing boring and lousy and not-so-helping bills that they thnk will be for the benefit of the greater.

If Mr. Revillame runs, will he be a good senator or not? Will he be a hypocrite senator or not?

He is wealthy, adorable, and admirable; however, does he know the comings and goings of the legislation, the laws and all that will help the government govern this corruption-infested country? If he is rich enough to have two yacths, a set of cars, and a grandeur-reflecting house in corinthian Hills, will that be enough to excuse him from corrupting the public funds? We know not.

For the record, Mr. Revilliame also has a history of alleged molestations, and other acts that lead to suspension of some of his shows during the past. These will not disqualify him, though, for running for Senate; but, will we allow him to grab that position. i dare say, NO WE SHOULD NOT!

The Senate needs more intelligent people to handle its processes. The Senate needs more Miriam Defensor-Santiago's and Jovito Salonga's than those celebreties who only have their popularity as their weapon. The more celeberity we will put in the Senate in the next elections, the more the evidences shall be that the Filipinos are indeed narrow-minded. We protest our government as a puppet of the American Government yet we do not know how to handle such government. If the government is for the people, then we must put proper officials in it: less corrupt, less celebrities, more intellectuals. If the government is by the people, then we must select the proper individuals with proper ideals to lead us to improvements.

On the other hand, for Mr. Revillame and the other celebrities, let them help the peoplen in their own ways without the power vested by government seats.