Credits

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

SC's Team Gloria Delivers

As I had expected, the Supreme Court's Team Gloria delivered. Voting 9-6, the SC favored Romulo Neri. The SC also clipped the senate's wings on the issue of contempt and issuance of warrants of arrest. The senate can however call on Neri to testify but must refrain from asking the three most controversial questions. 1. did GMA follow up the NBN deal, 2. did GMA tell Neri to prioritize the NBN deal, and 3. did GMA tell Neri to go ahead with the project despite being notified of a bribe attempt. All these questions to me are all answerable by a simple YES or NO. These questions also do not fall under the restrictions of executive privilege.

To my view, these questions do not involve national security nor diplomatic relations. What these questions really concern is Gloria's security and her corruption through diplomacy. This is how they voted: The Taliban, team captain: Justice Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, members of the special action force are: Associate Justices Leonardo Quisumbing, Renato Corona, Dante Tinga, Minita Chico-Nazario, Presbiterio Velasco, Antonio Eduardo Nachura, Ruben Reyes and Arturo Brion. The counter terrorists: Chief Justice Reynato Puno and Associate Justices Consuelo Ynares-Santiago, Ma. Alicia Austria-Martinez, Conchita Carpio-Morales, Adolfo Azcuna and Antonio Carpio. Of the nine, eight are GMA appointees while one is FVR's.

It is now clear that all institutions are controlled by Gloria. The Filipinos have no one to turn to. The SC considered by all to be the last bastion of truth could might well be the last straw that holds at bay, the smoldering cauldron. The SC may have sealed Gloria's fate. With the Ombudsman and the DOJ clearly her mercenaries, the people might as well throw caution to the wind and kick them all to kingdom come. We have no other option now as even justice now wears Prada. Justice did not die when Erap was pardoned, it died with the SC's decision.

The SC in essence inoculated the entire executive branch from any investigation on its criminal acts. When even the courts cannot be relied on, the entire system breaks down. Clearly, the SC did not even bother to dig deeper into Neri's case. It did what the palace wanted all along. This was evident when the SC tried to broker a compromise deal. The decision will have a huge impact on every investigation the congress conducts. Corruption can now be legalized through executive agreements.

There is no balance of power now. Equality of the branches of government is nonexistent. The senate is on its own. The advocacy of CJ Puno has been thrown in the trash. The SC has shown its true color. Gloria's appointees have paid their political debt to Gloria. When the going got tough, these appointees delivered for her. Has justice been served? No it was not. Justice chose to uphold criminality in the executive. We now have to seek truth somewhere else as the courts will have none of it. The people will now have to look for justice elsewhere. When all legal remedies have been exhausted to no avail, the rule of the mob is the last resort. It would be ugly, very ugly. But it may just get the job done.

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