Pedestrian Observer GB: Executive Privilege or GAGo Order

Finally, the Supreme Court ruled that former kickback henchman errr greed moderator yikes I meant former director general of the National Economic Development Authority Romulo Neri is allowed to attend Friday’s senate hearing. That is the good news, unfortunately that is all there is to it because while he can attend the hearing the senators will not be allowed to question Neri regarding his conversation with the evil errrr president. Say what now? Now what is the point of all this? Is he going to attend the hearing like a distinguish guest and sit there as what?

Attribution a must if you want this image

Really? So he is perhaps going to the hearing as an observer and messenger of the goddess of 'heaven' by the stinking Pasig River allowed to shut his trap as his lieyers errrr lawyers argued 'brilliantly' so as not to jeopardize national security. What a bunch of jueteng crap and unbedolable errrr unbelievable tall tale was that all about? The project is how to fleece errrr provide electronic access to government offices so what has that got to do with national insecurity errr security and diplomatic relations with lutong macau (hao shiao or shady deals) errrr China? Here is a quote from GMA News on the “legal” arguments:

Lawyer Antonio Bautista, Neri's counsel, said Neri will attend the Senate inquiry but will not reveal his conversations with President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo because it will affect national security and diplomatic relations with China.

It will reveal military secrets, it will offend people, like the Chinese. They may be offended. It will reveal the President's opinion on various matters.

Huh? What military secrets is he yapping about, is it the go signal to go ahead despite the P200M bribe offer to Neri? So how will that offend the Chinese? The Chinese counterpart getting offended because the scam errr the deal did not go through? Where is the military connection and why will the people get offended? Hesumalosep naman (invoking the holy trinity), its bad enough that this botched deal is so scandalously corrupt they even have the gall to further insult the people and the Supreme Court with such nonsense is in itself offensive to the people. What I find offensive is precisely these arguments presented by Neri’s lawyer, to quote:

Bautista accused the Senate committees – Blue Ribbon, defense, and trade – of "legislative tyranny" for insisting that Neri answer questions.

Bautista said disclosing the content of a privileged communication between Neri and the President will likely "open the President to condemnation."

He said that any future appearances before the Senate should first be preceded by questions being sent in advance, adding that under the present set-up, "any senator can ask any question under the sun."

Sounds like they want a scripted hearing so what is the point of the investigation if the probe has to be filtered in advance? To make matters worse the lawyer further added another absurd argument:

He said not all dealings of the President can be made public, and revealing privileged communication to the public would be an embarrassment, “like washing dirty linens before other countries."

Well this lawyer seems to know a lot about the scandalous president because if Gloria Arroyo is such a saint then I don't think he should worry about embarrassing our "Mother Teresa" of the Garci order congregation. Now was that an open admission or conspiracy to hide the truth in the Supreme Court at that really shows lack of common decency? Apparently what this implies is that the ZTE-NBN deal is so anomalous that need's to be covered up due to the irregularities from the top. How can one wash dirty linens if Neri and Gloria Arroyo are above board in dealing with the project? What I don’t understand is despite the statement of Associate Justice Adolfo Azcuna, citing constitutional provision on the accountability of public officers to the people at all times and that "in case of doubt, the Supreme Court will rule in favor of transparency", they still went through with the GAGo errr gag ooops “executive privilege” on the Neri-Arroyo conversation? Then we have Justice Reynato Puno’s statement below:

Puno said there was no aspect in the scuttled NBN contract that directly involved national security and diplomatic relations, or if it was ever referred to the Department of National Defense or Department of Foreign Affairs prior to its approval.

Puno cited the three written questions posed by the Senate to compel Neri to appear before its inquiry. These questions were:
Did the President have any interest in the NBN project?
Did the President order Neri to prioritize the NBN? and,
Did she order the continuance of the project despite his allegations of bribery?

Puno asked lawyer Paul Lentejas, Neri's other counsel, how revealing the questions posed by the Senate to "debilitate" the President if indeed the project was aboveboard.

If the President wants to prioritize this project, why should the heavens fall on the President?

Precisely, so why was Romulo Neri allowed to shut his trap if that is the case? Almost encouraging but still disappointing because despite all these Romulo Neri who can provide the damning testimony to the institutionalized corruption gets the "executive privilege" to skirt the issue and the people are the eventual losers. I don’t know about you but clearly the arrogance is showing in what appears to be an open conspiracy to deny the public the truth discussed at that at the Supreme Court really brings us to the muck of a dysfunctional Arroyo’s governance.

No wonder we see so have up to this day human rights violations are still rampant an indication that we are losing our humanity and compassion as a people. Here is another version of Freddie Aguilar's rendition of Bayan Ko, unlike the previous version this time around featuring what tourist will never see, hidden and ignored like these things never happen. Other human rights videos available at the end of the this one.

Yeah go ahead with your executive privilege or GAGo order, the people will not be fooled anymore and at the rate these morons insult the peoples intelligence they are just digging their own graves deeper.