DEMISE OF ROBREDO FOSTERS NEW CHALLENGES IN AQUINO’S ADMINISTRATION

I feel a painful grief and desolate over the untimely death of a gentleman, innovator, governance inventor, and a lowly reformist who fought against traditional politics with courage, bravery and integrity yet ever had in the arena of government service. Truly, government service is a bastion of people’s trust. When a worthy official, like Robredo, who deserve something far greater than who he really is, the whole nation mourns for his lose.

I have this feeling also that the dreaded numbers game---jueteng---will surely resurface in the coming days. Unscrupulous politicians would surely gear up and try to operate this greatly profitable numbers’ game because a lot of our ordinary people still love to bet; and because local government officials allow them to operate.

These local government officials are really getting interested to support it or even finance it because in the next few months, election is in the offing. By that time, sufficient funds for vote-buying and purchase of sacks of rice, noodles, canned goods, and the hoarding of 20 or 50 pesos denominations will still be more easy to gather than during campaign and election days. Of course, the 100s, 500s and 1000s denominations would also be a subject for hoarding as banks now are really busy managing the turnover of cash deposits and withdrawals.

As a banker would say, “Surely, there will be an upsurge of cash, as I have observed, coming from different sources particularly abroad. It wouldn’t take long in the cash chamber as or the recipients depositors would immediately withdraw it and secure it somewhere safe.” Probably true because banks also are targets by holduppers. This is a very amusing thing to note. However, no matter would be the events in the next few days or months, we shall be witnesses to an untimely environment left to us by Sec. Robredo.

The whole nation grieve for his passing but remained thankful and adamant to pursue his ideals and objectives. Ordinary people really are true in terms of relationship whether personal, business or politics. The icon of goodness and integrity are a few remarkable symbols of his presence even in death.

As the body of Sec. Robredo was cremated, the luster of his servant-leader inspiration has remained a symbolic inspiration for all of us; his indefatigable stride to excel in his own pace in managing the whole affairs of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) with less oversight and supervision from President Noynoy Aquino only show us who he really is when he works for the best for all of us---his awards in public service stand as an historic legacy that every Filipino today will remember always.

Indeed, this great man died because he’s been in a zenith where his good deeds will be planted in the hearts of people whom he served well. Farewell, Jesse; your legacy of good government and iconic symbol of a real public servant carry us all to new challenges ahead with strength and will that we can overcome them all.

I just hope and pray that President Aquino indomitably carry on the reforms that Sec. Robredo has done and accomplished; and check upon his own people who really are serious and those are not. I can foresee that the battle against graft and corruption in the government would be an uphill stride.

Goodbye, Jesse. Good luck, Mr. President. We are counting on you.

Chief Justice Corona dramatics flopped

CJ Corona's composure before he took the witness stand was excellent and I think he was in good health when he stepped down the witness stand. The statement he snarled would clearly show that he was grandstanding inside the impeachment court and trying to wield his power and authority as Chief Justice which was a blatant challenge and disrespect of the Senate seating as an impeachment court. I was near to believe him and even the court itself were it not of his challenging the 189 Congressman and a Senator to sign also a waiver. Why he did that? He is a lawyer and he knows well the workings inside a court.

CJ Corona must remember that he took the oath before he seated at the witness stand. The Senate President and the Senator-Judges as well as the Congressman are elected representatives of the people whom I believe have the authority to impeach an try whether he is guilty or not. It is a constitutional authority that emanates from the people who elected them. While on the other hand, CJ Corona was only "appointed" by ex-pres. Arroyo by virtue of her sole trust and confidence and long association.

Moreover, by the time that he stood at the witness stand, he should have been treated as any ordinary witness with all the rights accorded to by the constitution and existing laws. His statement before he went down of the witness stand clearly amplify disrespect and a mock to the senate institution. He was trying to wield his authority as Chief Justice inside the impeachment court. It was a daring move which would only amplify or admission of the guilt, if there be any found against him. He should have narrowed his testimony according to the complaint and not of the black propaganda which he clearly knows inadmissible in court.

It would have been better if he stayed calm and focus to the case at hand and minded out those “black propaganda” he claimed to have affected him and his family.

I believe he forgot that he was seating as a “Witness” and not as a “Chief Justice.” By this time, the credibility of all his statements in his “senate monologue” could not serve him better but worsened his case.

Be that as it may, this first impeachment proceedings against the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court would be a clear precedent for the Congress of the Republic of the Philippines to pass a law that would strengthen further the authority of the impeachment court. Although, the three branches of the bureaucracy should stand as an independent institution in the pursuit of democracy and for purposes of balance in authority, the Supreme Court should remember that the basis of their present is by “appointment” from those elected by the people and their authority does not, in any manner, delimit the power of Congress to impeach Justices of the Supreme Court which are believed or accused of wrong-doing. In fact, the temporary restraining orders (TROs) issued by the Supreme Court en banc should not have stood at the very core of the exercise of duty and responsibility of the Senators and Congressmen to the people who elected them.

It is still the President and Congress who possess the ultimate power and authority emanated from the people who elected them and not in the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court whose authority is subservient to the appointing power of the President’s authority to dispense justice and whose function is to see to it that the laws passed by Congress and duly “approved and signed” by the President are correctly interpreted and implemented according to the very spirit to which it were all intended.

Finally, sad to say, CJ Corona was overwhelmed by the vastness of such authority by so interpreting the “absolute character” of the Foreign Currency Act that flopped the very essence and spirit of his testimony. He overdid it!

The Supreme Court is not owned by the people managing its affairs; it is owned by the Filipino people

 

The Senate's first exercise of impeachment against the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court would be written in the History books. So, it would be prudent that the Senators would have to exercise its utmost power and authority to be more dignified in the disposition of the case. Whatever the result of this impeachment trial would certainly instigate a metamorphosis on our justice system.

This would clean up the ranks and file of the institution, and this would break the meteoric hype that the Supreme Court is no vulnerable to graft and corruption; and that it could stand alone in the disposition of justice in the country. This myth brings out the adamant attitude of the SC to the summons of the duly elected authorities, trying to weed them out, by standing to that principle of separation of power between the three pillars of our government.

Now, the SC people should know that they don't own the SC, the SC is owned by the Filipino people who establish the institution to dispose justice according to the mandate that it is tasked to do.

Communist China is employing Protracted War Management Tactic to heightened its claims on Scarborough Islands

 

The Philippine government should be alarmed by such blatant posturing and fearless pronouncements of the Chinese media. You can observe that political propaganda and military bullying is one of the Chinese's protracted war management tactic. While it's diplomatic machinery has been actively composing itself to politicize the Philippine government by virtue of trying push it to the limit of its own resources, other structural representations of the Chinese communist government is tactically manipulating the groundwork as it advances to its military objectives.

They can consider the conflict between the Philippine government as a "petty war" that can be resolve eventually without firing a shot to conclude it. They would utilize that old communist tactical offensives of politicizing the whole observing world to legitimize its own claims on Scarborough Shoal which is about 230 kilometers off Luzon island, while intensifying its war preparation if in case, conflict in the area would be inevitable, because of possible involvement of the United States and its allies.

As we can observe, the Philippine government has been exhausting its whole efforts of trying to engage China in diplomatic settlement while knowing that it would not deal with them directly. China knows the ins and outs within the streams of the Philippine bureaucracy, by indication, it very well know how people who are working the best of their efforts to convince China to quit from “bullying” the country, until such time that the “ultimate demand” will be made to their great advantage.

As of the moment, the political machinery of the communist is working with overwhelming accuracy, which I believe, is very critical to the ongoing diplomatic negotiations. Although, the Philippines would have certainly moves of bringing the matter to the appreciation of the international community, and also through the United Nations, as its optimal ground of action that would legitimize their diplomatic protest. But, all these actions, to the extent of inviting the whole world to come to rescue and assist the Philippines, the ultimate end would still be protracted war management effort of China to go on, even beyond all the reasons that it could bear until all is won.

It would be that in the next few weeks, or even months, when the smoke of the conflict would rise into the next level, there is that possibility that China will not hesitate to use force to concretize its main objective, just like what it did in 1988 when 64 Vietnamese sailors were massacred. It was an act of war against Vietnam, but, the latter could not do otherwise. Vietnam recognizes China as a powerful giant. You can read the whole account of the story here.

Now, the question, can the Philippine government send troops to Scarborough Shoals to defend the islands? Yes, it is possible, but the soldiers should understand that they would be the “sacrificial lambs” when armed conflict against China will erupt. By so doing, the Philippine government can declare war against China, and the latter would be happy to engage.

By this scenario, what would be the legitimate reaction of the U.S.? None, unless China would declare war against the U.S. But, since, it’s only the Philippines, the burden would be the sole responsibility of the Philippines, because the US government would not be dragging its own resources to this mess because either way, it would be to their geopolitical advantage. So, it would all be Philippines against the giant China only. One on One (What a classic scenario!)

I just hope that the Philippine government, no matter what, must stand firm to its claims and it should not yield to the politicizing of the communist China. With or without diplomacy, war is inevitable.

Finally, I know that Philippines is different from Vietnam, or any other Asian country for that matter.

Shaking Off Dusts or Hammering Rusty Doubts: A Supreme Court’s Impeachment Story

There is a very thin line between decisions that determine justice or injustice in a country where the rule of law is perceived to be the keystone of a fair and just society.

People who are managing the affairs of a justice system  are venerated of their astute intelligence and impartiality, precise dispensation of justice that is marked with the highest degree of integrity, with unparalleled liberty in looking at the very fiber of evidence that would yield the utmost degree of truth. By the words of their mouth, it is justice with the highest degree of dispensation.

When one hears the “Supreme Court”, it rings “Justice” as well. The Supreme Court is the last bastion of the rule of law dispensing what truth really is truth. But, when the very head of a justice system is now in question, it would certainly rock the very foundation where the “archived truth” will hang in a balance.

Issues about Chief Justice Renato Corona is now getting deep, and I can see a lot of justice seekers making use of the recent “question of integrity” to propel a much much incline of drawing the justice system corrupt. I believe that the outcome of this trial would bring out the best of our justice system; and it would only be achieved when it will convince the Filipino people. But, mind you, not all decisions or service to justice is a convincing one. Both camps would have to feel, in clear conscience, that justice is served, and served well.

Thus, shaking off the dust or hammering dusty doubts would have to sound the treble part of those not hidden in the lyrics of a metaphorical music. The people is still the final judge of all.