Friday, June 8, 2012
Impeachment: Views, Lessons and Points
Last May 29, Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona was convicted by the Senate impeachment court for betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution. It is known to mankind I am an Aquino supporter so as to practice fair and just blog regarding this national issue, I decided to simply share the thoughts of a few respected journalists and politicians.
June 03, 2012
Mano-A-Mano by Adel Tamano (Philippine Star)
"...the impeachment, as a whole, has been a very positive experience for our country and a watershed moment for our nation. Simply, going through the impeachment process was a giant step in our political and democratic maturity. "
"Filipinos learned about the law on procedure, banking, evidence, tax, land registration, our Constitution, civil law and even accounting and history."
But perhaps the most important lesson of all was the one on accountability; that even the most powerful of persons , the very head of one of our three great branches of government , can be held accountable.
"... the biggest challenge to our country has never been merely corruption but also the apathy of our citizens. My own optimistic view is that the great interest shown by our countrymen on the impeachment is a clear signal that we are becoming less apathetic and instead are growing- to be more interested in the public affairs of our nation and that we are finally on our way to becoming a mature and responsible democracy."
As I Wreck This Chair by William Esposo (Philippine Star)
When P-Noy did not agree to sign the "waiver" that his political foes were pressing him to do:
T"he SALN(Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth) that every public official is mandated by law to file under oath already has the waiver- except that it has never been used before to pursue investigations. "
"P-Noy restored line item budgeting that will remove many opportunities for graft and corruption. Less discretion on the use of public funds limits the opportunities for graft and corruption. He opted to defer infrastructure projects until the leaks have been plugged in the government procurement and spending processes. In less than 2 years, P-Noy brought us from being regarded as an undesirable investment option to one of the most preferred- according to BusinessWeek, Goldman Sachs, HSBC Research, Bloomberg..."
"Unfortunately, the majority of Filipinos cannot appreciate the virtues of the effective, diligent, silent worker..
George Bernard Shaw wrote in Saint Joan words to the effect that it is a great fault not to know when you're alraedy defeated- but a worse fault not to know when you're already victorious. "
"It's not a question of whether we are pro Noy or anti-Noy. It is all about Filippinos knowing when they have a good leader and knowing how to help that leader deliver us all into the Promised Land. "
"We've become our worst enemies when we irrationally disable the few good men that we have. We've become apathetic when we get the leader that we need and we then become party to that leader's undoing."
Hindsight by F. Sionil Jose (Philippine Star)
F. Sionil Jose speaks his mind without fear. He has in the past, lambasted and criticized Noy and his governance. His integrity as a writer remains in a clean slate as supported by his longevity in the world of journalism.
"Now that all is said and done, we must ponder and realize that what mattered most was truth as justice in action, and this action is the ideal pursuit of our very lives, by which we measure the ultimate goal and purpose of society itself."
"In explaining her( Sen. Miriam Santiago) vote, she asked, "Why then are we considered one of the most corrupt country in the world?"
Perhaps without being quite conscious of it, her acquittal of Corona, she answered her own question. We have reached this state of apparent moral metastasis because leaders like her- and there are so many of them in and out of the Congress- are hobbled by their tremendous self-esteem, their encyclopedic legal knowledge, they forget that the basis of law is moral."
"At the end of the Senator's tirade, he (Harvey Keh) should have simply told her: I am a sovereign citizen of this republic, I deserve some respect from you, a public servant."
"Watching the senators explain their votes, the most telling explanation was Senator Lapid's. His was the voice of the voiceles masa, seldom heard in the sanctified corridors of power. It was stern and righteous for all of us to understand- the Chief Justice is guilty!"
"The president is now truly engaged in this historic reform movement starting with the most important institution which impacts on our lives, particularly the very poor. His emphasis on the revitalization of ethics in government, , that henceforth government officials must follow the daan na matured."
"Morality cannot be legislated but it can be emulated, nurtured and embedded in the very matrix of society if the leaders are the first to live it."
As to my personal view on the concluded national telenovela:
June 03, 2012
Mano-A-Mano by Adel Tamano (Philippine Star)
"...the impeachment, as a whole, has been a very positive experience for our country and a watershed moment for our nation. Simply, going through the impeachment process was a giant step in our political and democratic maturity. "
"Filipinos learned about the law on procedure, banking, evidence, tax, land registration, our Constitution, civil law and even accounting and history."
But perhaps the most important lesson of all was the one on accountability; that even the most powerful of persons , the very head of one of our three great branches of government , can be held accountable.
"... the biggest challenge to our country has never been merely corruption but also the apathy of our citizens. My own optimistic view is that the great interest shown by our countrymen on the impeachment is a clear signal that we are becoming less apathetic and instead are growing- to be more interested in the public affairs of our nation and that we are finally on our way to becoming a mature and responsible democracy."
As I Wreck This Chair by William Esposo (Philippine Star)
When P-Noy did not agree to sign the "waiver" that his political foes were pressing him to do:
T"he SALN(Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth) that every public official is mandated by law to file under oath already has the waiver- except that it has never been used before to pursue investigations. "
"P-Noy restored line item budgeting that will remove many opportunities for graft and corruption. Less discretion on the use of public funds limits the opportunities for graft and corruption. He opted to defer infrastructure projects until the leaks have been plugged in the government procurement and spending processes. In less than 2 years, P-Noy brought us from being regarded as an undesirable investment option to one of the most preferred- according to BusinessWeek, Goldman Sachs, HSBC Research, Bloomberg..."
"Unfortunately, the majority of Filipinos cannot appreciate the virtues of the effective, diligent, silent worker..
George Bernard Shaw wrote in Saint Joan words to the effect that it is a great fault not to know when you're alraedy defeated- but a worse fault not to know when you're already victorious. "
"It's not a question of whether we are pro Noy or anti-Noy. It is all about Filippinos knowing when they have a good leader and knowing how to help that leader deliver us all into the Promised Land. "
"We've become our worst enemies when we irrationally disable the few good men that we have. We've become apathetic when we get the leader that we need and we then become party to that leader's undoing."
Hindsight by F. Sionil Jose (Philippine Star)
F. Sionil Jose speaks his mind without fear. He has in the past, lambasted and criticized Noy and his governance. His integrity as a writer remains in a clean slate as supported by his longevity in the world of journalism.
"Now that all is said and done, we must ponder and realize that what mattered most was truth as justice in action, and this action is the ideal pursuit of our very lives, by which we measure the ultimate goal and purpose of society itself."
"In explaining her( Sen. Miriam Santiago) vote, she asked, "Why then are we considered one of the most corrupt country in the world?"
Perhaps without being quite conscious of it, her acquittal of Corona, she answered her own question. We have reached this state of apparent moral metastasis because leaders like her- and there are so many of them in and out of the Congress- are hobbled by their tremendous self-esteem, their encyclopedic legal knowledge, they forget that the basis of law is moral."
"At the end of the Senator's tirade, he (Harvey Keh) should have simply told her: I am a sovereign citizen of this republic, I deserve some respect from you, a public servant."
"Watching the senators explain their votes, the most telling explanation was Senator Lapid's. His was the voice of the voiceles masa, seldom heard in the sanctified corridors of power. It was stern and righteous for all of us to understand- the Chief Justice is guilty!"
"The president is now truly engaged in this historic reform movement starting with the most important institution which impacts on our lives, particularly the very poor. His emphasis on the revitalization of ethics in government, , that henceforth government officials must follow the daan na matured."
"Morality cannot be legislated but it can be emulated, nurtured and embedded in the very matrix of society if the leaders are the first to live it."
As to my personal view on the concluded national telenovela:
- I am glad with the verdict. I just know in my heart that beneath P-Noy's resilient effort to bring the CJ to court is a vault of strong evidences that would prove his (CJ) guilt in the Articles of Impeachment filed by the prosecution.
- I am immensely impressed with Senate Pres. Juan Ponce Enrile.JPE's wisdom and sharp intellect is awesome. See what stem cell treatment can bring? Justice Cuevas captured my attention as well, he did not falter at all with the courtroom debacle. It is ironic that the only time he almost lost his focus was his own client's doing, the "walk-out".
- It's the defense panel who presented Ombudsman Carpio-Morales to take the witness stand. And we know how her testimony saved the day for the prosecution. What could be more twisted than that?
- I really wish for CJ's good health. I hope that he would always remember to keep a sweet candy in his pocket should hypoglycemia attacks occur.
- Finally, I hope Noy, the senators and congressmen will now allot their time for other pressing matters of Pinoylandia. I am praying for a just closure of the Maguindanao massacre, poverty alleviation, health improvement of the citizenry, and decent employment for registered nurses.
June 24, 2021
You are my BEST Philippine President. Thank you for serving our country.
