Malaya editorial: Scratch my back
Administration members of the House reportedly are wary of impeaching Election Chairman Benjamin Abalos because Senate trial on alleged graft in the $3290 million national broadband could show that the corruption trail leads all the way to Malacañang.
We are no long surprised by such a display of utter lack of principles. Gloria Arroyo’s allies, relying on sheer numbers, threw out the past impeachment complaints against Arroyo. They said impeachment is more a political process than a judicial determination on whether the impeachable official is indeed guilty of the complaint filed.
So rejecting the impeachment complaint against Abalos on the basis of protecting Arroyo is a logical extension of the principle that impeachment is basically a political contest. And Gloria’s allies, in a sense, are right in their fear that the deal with the Chinese firm ZTE could drag Arroyo into the mud.
If we are to believe Joey de Venecia, Mike Arroyo’s pudgy fingers are all over the $329 million pie. He told the young De Venecia to back off and practically told him Abalos was already the designated handler of the deal.
Former Planning secretary Romulo Neri, in his testimony before the Senate inquiry, said he was offered a P200 million bribe by Abalos. He reported the offer to Gloria. The latter told him to reject the bribe. To follow-up questions, Neri clammed up, citing executive privilege.
What followed, however, is easily pieced together. NEDA approved ZTE’s proposal and Gloria promptly flew to Boao in China to witness the signing of the contract, leaving the bedside of her husband who was fighting for his life after heart surgery.
Whether Gloria or Mike had an interest in the alleged pay-off to Abalos is not even the issue. The deal was struck in the run-up to the elections. And the quid pro quo must have involved a far more valuable currency than dollars, renminbis or pesos. We refer to the votes cast (or not cast) and counted (or not counted) during the May elections.
The Arroyo administration’s strategy of winning the congressional elections while practically conceding the Senate contest was an unqualified success. The opposition won only around 30 House seats, far from the 80 needed to impeach to Gloria.
Gloria was saved. The opposition did not even bother to file a complaint as it had planned.
Now, administration congressmen are thinking of extending Gloria’s virtual immunity from impeachment to Abalos. Abalos certainly has all the right to expect to take refuge in the protective mantle enjoyed by Gloria.
The trade is complete. All participants – Arroyo, Abalos and the congressmen – have made good their ends of the bargain. How’s that as the capstone in Gloria’s magnificent temple to transactional politics for which she lay the foundation by her power grab in 2001?
Related article:
“Abalos certainly has all the right to expect to take refuge in the protective mantle enjoyed by Gloria.”
That will take the cake!
Someone ought to write a how to do manual for those people who want to copycat Gloria’s style of governance:
How she managed to grab power in 2001
How she managed to stay in power until 2004
Why she’s instituted corruption at every level of government and How she does it
Why and How she wins every step of the game and every inch of the way over those who object to her
It’s as clear and bright as the August full moon. Neri was about to tell the whole truth that would have implicated GMA; but was prevented by Joker Arroyo and assisted by Sec. Andaya.
It was never his intention to invoke the executive privilege until he got a call from Ermita, and Andaya showed up to remind him to shut up. Then, Joker finished it off by blocking him.
Unlike the Senate, the House is still controlled by Malacanang. Pero iba na ang situation ngayon dahil anak ni JDV ang kalaban. Unless Malacanang softens the House Speaker who in turns soften his son Joey, malaking gulo ito at tuloy ang impeachment ni Abalos na hahantong kay GMA. But then as always, babaha na naman ang mga lagay at pera sa mga solons tulad ng dati. Kapag pera na ang katapat, kahit tigre ay aamo.
Lito Banayo has a good article on that too.
http://www.malaya.com.ph/oct01/edbanayo.htm
Neri just told the media that he has nothing more to say. He further said that the Senate should respect the confidentiality. Gago talaga itong bading na ito. Hindi ba siya nakaranas ng pagkabitin habang nasa tutok ng kalangitan?
Damn this Neri ! Shame on him !
“Whether Gloria or Mike had an interest in the alleged pay-off to Abalos is not even the issue. The deal was struck in the run-up to the elections. And the quid pro quo must have involved a far more valuable currency than dollars, renminbis or pesos. We refer to the votes cast (or not cast) and counted (or not counted) during the May elections.”
Yup, Gloria is way way ahead of the opposition in planning strategy! When it comes to the ‘number game’ in the Lower House of Hell, Gloria is a real PhD!
I do think that JdV and Gloria have already made a deal about Abalos impeachment kuno. Tapos na Mas magaling silang artista kesa kay Erap!
I concur with you, Ellen. The “capstone” had been laid and “completed” in Gloria’s magnificent temple to transactional politics for which she lay the foundation by her power grab in 2001?” Amen.
Pechanco, takot raw ma-oust si Gloria. Okay lang pala sa kanya ang corrupt na presidente.
Spineless!
Neri is bayagless na, spineless pa! An identified creature of Gloria’s transactional presidency!
Sec. Anadaya violated the Senate rules by entering the Senate lounge where the closed door meeting was supposed to be held. Dapat nandoon lang ang Committee, stenographer at witness. Limited lang ang dapat pumasok. But why and how did Anadaya get in who even introduced himself as Neri’s lawyer. Si Joker daw ang nagpapasok sa kanya. The rule forbids a cabinet member from lawyering another cabinet member. So, it was this Andaya and Joker that caused the non-disclosure of Neri’s testimony to the Senate. Whose older? Siyempre and amo nilang Impakta. Ellen, pagod na ako sa mga kawalang hiyaan nila.
Correction: Andaya not Anadaya. Whatever, parehong may salitang “daya”. Madaya kasi. Whose order (not older). Sa sobrang inis ko, mali-mali ang sinulat ko.
Let’s face it. Unless they change some of the laws in the Philippines giving freedom to these criminals to appoint for example their own friends and protectors in agencies supposedly responsible for sending creeps like them to jail, this unano is apparently there to stay unless the Filipinos decide now to band together and remove them all by force. Hindi na puede ang blogging-blogging lang as a matter of fact. There should be action now.
Hindi na puede ang kid gloves treatment para sa hayup na GLORC na iyan! Sipain na, now na!
Neri forget about this guy. He’s useless. Dapat sa taong iyan ipakulong na lang para madala. Too bad, puro kaibigan ang nasa pulis, militar and worse, korte ng Pilipinas. Kaya papaano makukulong ang mga animal?
Media daw ang kaaway ni Neri Wala pang utang na loob ang ungas. Gusto nga nilang i-protect siya, natakot! Kasi natakot na magaya doon sa mga media men na naging biktima ng extrajudicial killings. Siguro ang kailangan ng mga pilipino, more faith in God and in their ability to remove these criminals.
Akala mo matapang. May usapan na silang kunyari gawing fall guy si Abalos. Confident silang walang magagawa si Suplico, et al. Time for the Pangalatoks to give Joey dV their protection. Better still, i-mobilize na ang puwersa ng Norte sans iyong mga amigos ni Enrile at Singson.
Oh yes, why is this Singson quiet about the ZTE deal? May parte din ba siya o dahil best friend din niya si JDV? Singson could have been torn between two evils, GMA and JDV.
quiet si singson, kasi hanggang ngayon nagbibilang pa siya nung nakuha niya during the elections. kita mo nga hindi umangal na kahit “natalo” siya ni tita migs zubiri eh.
wala nang katapusan ang pagiging mandarambong ng mga alipores ni gloria. paano, kanino pa magmamana, kundi sa kanya at kay pidal. mga tinamaan ng lintek na yan.
at bakit ngayon sasabihin pa na nirerespeto human rights? medical attention na nga lang ng detainees, hindi convicts ha, hindi maibigay ng maliwanang. napaka-ipokrita talaga. paano ba magtiris ng kuto?
What the hell is Gloria thinking about? Asking Myanmar to respect DEMOCRACY and HUMAN RIGHTS and to release all political prisoners…
Masyado na talagang makapal ang mukha nitong bulilit na ito!
it’s like a pot calling a kettle BLACK! Pareho lang naman sila!