Our broken Philippine Institution, are the Senators capable of leading us?
The Supreme Court conspiracy elicited some concern on the so-called stalemate which was pointed out by Randy David in his article "Bringing the stalemate to an end ". David enumerated a possible scenario of options the senate can do which is:
- The Senate can resume its hearings and continue to gather information that may be useful not only to the crafting of new laws but also to the preparation of a new impeachment complaint against Ms Arroyo. The Supreme Court anticipates that the issue may eventually take this route, and so it has admonished the senators against prejudging a case in which they will eventually be the jury.
- Or, the Senate can conclude the hearings and cause the filing of criminal complaints against certain individuals, including high government officials. There is an implied promise in the Court’s decision that the evidentiary requirements of criminal proceedings may be allowed to override executive privilege, and thus bring out information that is being blocked in the current Senate hearings.
Knowing that our institution has been destroyed by the perverted rule of the trapos, he then states further:
The chances that any of these two options may prosper depend, of course, on the independence of the House of Representatives where the impeachment case will have to originate, and of the Ombudsman and the courts which will have to investigate and try the criminal cases. The public perception of the credibility of these institutions, at the moment, is understandably low. That is precisely why the public has turned to the Senate hearings for information that they did not think the Department of Justice, or the Ombudsman, or the lower courts cared to unearth.
Indeed and our system has long been broken by the trapos screwing the institution to suit their corrupted and perverted purpose of serving their legal or illegal vested interest. So on the first scenario, the drawback is people are leery to put it mildly on how the senate and the lower house counterpart are doing their job since nothing really concrete has come out from them since the Garci scandal. There is this perception at least as far as I am concerned that the probe has always been measured and only to a point of not opening the Pandora’s Box. People are definitely watching but definitely not taking to the streets, not because of the so-called "edsa fatigue" but guarded in a sense that while the senators are seen as the last hope to bring back sanity to our broken institution they have not earned enough credibility and respect. After all who would in his right mind would want to be left out in the dark once the bruha errr brouhaha is over with the usual "back to business" on non-transparent pork barrel?
On the other hand which is highly unlikely and if the senators especially those jockeying for the presidential cheat errr seat this early are really intent on proving their mettle to the public then it’s about time that they show results in this probe unlike in the past. This time around they must unearth the truth and bring it to a logical conclusion which is sending the culprits to prison and please no automatic pardon like Erap’s. This is also the time where they can show their genuine leadership if they are indeed of the presidential caliber in leading by example to persuade their lower house counterpart in truly serving the people by abolishing pork barrel which corrupts even the most honest people in the land of cheats and work in a transparent, accountable and responsible manner. If the people see that the legislative department are cleaning their own backyard then there will be no hesitation from the people to follow their lead.... show some political will fer christ sake.
The second scenario is very attractive and will surely get the peoples attention and hopefully show the sincerity of the senators. Filing of criminal charges against Romulo Neri is a good start together with those quadruple accused by Jun Lozada of attempted kidnapping which should have been the job and responsibility of the Justice Department instead of running after whistleblowers that sends a message to everyone how Gloria Arroyo perverts and bastardized our institution using it as a tool to hide the truth and harass and intimidate those willing to tell it all. They might as well charge Raul Gonzales of criminal abuse of authority and the jokers he organized to run after whistleblowers along with the rest in the maze that took part in the scam. While this is not their job these measures are necessary if we want to bring back sanity into our institution and gain the confidence and trust of the people back.
Randy David ends his column with this concern but I will not give any importance to the "stalemate" which I will explain later:
That is why the question that bugs us is whether we can wait until 2010 to resolve the impasse, and watch helplessly while the regime pushes the limits of presidential power and destroys every standing institution; or we must do something now to bring the stalemate to an end. God help us either way.
Although I agree that the Supreme Court decision gave Gloria Arroyo the edge and emboldened her as if she just got a license to possess an ugly face errr in destroying an already broken institution it is getting worse and reaching beyond plunder and we the people have to act fast to stop it now. The stalemate is on the probe that I believe will not affect governance but will probably delay how they screw the people, proof of that can be seen on their tract record. I believe last year's budget only took them 2 days thus it is not an issue when it comes to how they divide the booty errr allocates the budget. It's not like they do an efficient job anyway and it's not like we have a corruption free implementation all along so what will make it different this time around?
This is an opportune time for the senators to lead the nation towards redemption or they can blow it once more with empty shallow posturing and let the people decide for them, although it may not be in the immediate future if it happens they probably will not be included in the re-structuring of the new institution. A challenge to their leadership and character if indeed they are worthy of being addressed as honorable…….. genuine leaders arose in times of crisis and so far not one among the “presidentiables” are showing any inklings towards it. Why even Noli de Cashtro is failing miserably which is understandable because the guy won in a popularity contest not in a real election. An electoral contest that is fraudulent prone and lousy choice on personality versus patronage politicians that needs restructuring now to remove the regularity of aberration. There is definitely a vacuum in leadership and the people need a leader that will lead us out of this mess, now! The ball is in the hands of the senators who are in a position to do that now or lose their chance to leave a lasting legacy for the future generations to come, lest they want to be thrown in the dustbin of history along with all the despicable trapos......... So as a follow -up question on Randy David's question, I dare ask the Senators if they are capable of leading us? Do they have what it takes or are they just a bunch of popularity contest winners in a broken politics of patronage and personality electoral system?
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7 Speak Out:
you are so right. the ball is in the senate's court. sana they rise to the occasion and do the heroic thing, pave the way for the executive's ouster, and then step back, give way to a new breed of leaders and corrupt-free governance. but i really doubt it. because you're right again, the senators are being so careful not to cross certain lines, making sure that they don't burn their bridges, hedging their bets kumbaga. they don't yet realize i think that this is their time, just as it was salonga's senate's time when the u.s. bases issue came up in 1989.
Angela,
Thanks for the visit and the comment, it's obvious isn't it? I fear that even Joker has been drag to the muck with his unthinkable and puzzling reaction to the Lozada event.
This Pandora's box has to be sealed at all cost and one only has to look back at the Garci scandal to realize that they are all into it. Remember the Enrile-Madrigal scrimage on their own electoral irregularity?
How far are they willing to take it this time around is a big question mark...... and how this unfolds will make or break the so-called presidentiables that is if we the people will have enough muscles by then to hold them accountable.
I would like to start my comment from a song by a foreign artist named Ne-Yo entitled "So Sick." In the chorus it says:
"And I'm so sick of love songs
So tired of tears
So done with wishing you were still here
Said I'm so sick of love songs so sad and slow
So why cant I turn off the radio?"
Yes it's from a foreign R&B/love song, but if you read closely, the lines are so apt at what we are experiencing now. Perhaps the desperate in me finds meaning even in such a shallow lyric.
Yes I am so sick that these people in power are forgetting one simple fact why they are sitting as leaders of this beautiful country. THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE THERE TO SERVE US. It is such a shame that they have betrayed public trust so as to protect their personal interest and agenda. To think that we voted for them in the first place. They spend our tax money with wanton abandon thinking they have this right for being an "honorable" of this land all the while setting a blind eye on what the people has been clamoring for all these years. Genuine change.
We were once labeled as the sick man of Asia. With all these goings on, what title shall we apply now?
It saddens me to see that our once poorer neighbors are now even prosperous than us. Why is this so? How long can we stand all this? Why are we even allowing ourselves to be demeaned by so few who are stealing and draining our resources? While families need to break up with one member or two leaving to work for abroad just so they can put an honest meal on their families table. The governments' consuelo de bobo, they label them "bagong bayani." I agree they are. But not in the way the government thinks. I sincerely believe that had these bagong bayanis be given the opportunity to work here, they will not leave.
So Sick indeed. But still, "...why can't I turn off the radio"
I am actually very disappointed with Mar Roxas.I expected him to adopt a more aggressive leadership posture in the opposition.But he simply resorts to regular press releases.
What we miss is the passionate oppositionist stance of a Ninoy Aquino versus Marcos.
Today,everybody in the opposition in the Senate is just taking a safe position.
No guts(except for Senator Lacson and Senator Trillanes)
Genkuro,
So you are also a pedestrian like moi.... welcome to POGB, yes it is so sick and pathetic but we just can't turn if off like a radio because our nations welfare is at stake.
Mav,
No guts or holding out? Indeed, it appears that Trillanes is the only one who seems to have the guts and rightly so since he is the only one I believe who has the legitimate mandate compared to his kuligs errr colleagues. Lacson to a point seems ok but his past and refutation makes some people leery and until they come clean they will not be able to lead the people out of this mess.
Thank you for welcoming me jaywalker.
Let me just clarify that turning off the radio doesn't mean turning our backs to what is happening. I'm merely stating, why can't WE do something to tun off all the useless and pointless noise these honorables are making.
The more they bicker, the more we suffer. We Filipinos are a very resilient raise. We go with the flow, we stem the tide, we tackle the worst of storms. But bear in mind that these vultures no matter what their political leanings are, have their own interests and agenda. They will not hesitate to use any conceivable means to remain in power or to at least maintain the status quo. What a pity. For us that is.
And yet, even if I can muster enough strength to at least mute the noise, what's that I keep hearing playing in the background amidst all the scandals? "CHA-CHA y CON-CON?" I feel they are all Magka -CON-CHA-BA... ayayay... But that is another story.
Genkuro,
My apologies, I guess I was somewhat vague in responding to your turning off the radio.
Indeed we can't just turn it off as seen with others in their desperation and hopelessness turned apathetic that has seeped into their consciousness. We need to keep listening and vigilant in order to hopefully keep the issues alive so that we may see the dawning of a new beginning.
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