Truth Commission – ellen tordesillas

President Aquino on SC decision declaring Truth Commission unconstitutional

Published by Ellen on December 8, 2010

reporting first 100 days — Matter of accountability

Marami ang nadismaya sa desisyon ng Korte Suprema na ipawalang-bisa ang Truth Commission. Bilang inyong pinuno, tinatanong ako kung ano ang mga susunod kong hakbang.

Link to the SC decision; cuncurring and dissenting opinions: http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2010/toc/december.htm

Kasalanan ba ang maghanap ng katotohanan? Di ba obligasyon kong tuklasin ang katotohanan? Di ba obligasyon ko rin na maparusahan ang mga lumabag sa batas? Di ba tungkulin nating malinis ang pangalan ng mga inakusahan nang walang base?

Nanumpa po ako bilang inyong Pangulo: ipagtatanggol ko ang konstitusyon; ipatutupad ko ang mga batas; at magbibigay ako ng hustisya sa bawat Pilipino. Sino mang alagad ng katarungan ay sumusumpa rin sa kanilang tungkuling kumapit sa kung ano ang totoo.

Ang hinahabol po natin dito ay katotohanan. Itinatag natin ang Truth Commission upang isara ang sinasabing isa sa mga pinakamadilim na kabanata sa ating kasaysayan—at malinaw na makakamtan lamang natin ito kung patuloy nating tutuklasin at kakapitan ang katotohan.

SC declares Truth Commission unconstitutional

Published by Ellen on December 7, 2010

From ABS-CBN:

In another blow to President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s administration, the Supreme Court has declared unconstitutional the much trumpeted Truth Commission.

Voting 10-5, the Supreme Court ruling effectively bars the prosecution of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and other officials and parties involved in alleged scandals under the previous administration.

The 5 who dissented were: Associate Justices Antonio Nachura, Antonio Carpio, Conchita Carpio Morales, Maria Lourdes Sereno, and Roberto Abad dissented.

The high court apparently gave credence to the petition of minority lawmakers led by Rep. Edcel Lagman, who sought to have the executive fiat that created the Truth Commission quashed.

House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman praised the Supreme Court for junking the Truth Commission, a move that, he said, signals the triumph of the rule of law. Negros Rep.Ignacio Iggy Arroyo also approves of SC decision.http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/nation/12/07/10/lagman-sc-decision-triumph-rule-law

The commission, tasked to investigate the anomalies during the 9-year term of Mrs. Arroyo, was created with too much power that it has already stepped on the rights of constitutionally-created bodies, they had said.

The commission, headed by former Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr., has already actually convened. It has not started investigations, however, absent a ruling from the high court.

This decision comes in a string of setbacks for the Aquino administration.

“Hello Garci” in Truth Commission list to be investigated

Published by Ellen on October 15, 2010

The Truth Commission has in its initial list 23 cases that they will investigate including the “Hello Garci” scandal that exposed the direct role of Gloria Arroyo and the military in tampering with the results of the 2004 elections in her favor.

The “Hello Garci” scandal put in doubt the legitimacy of the Arroyo presidency.

At least two major corruption scandals – the P728 million fertilizer scam and the$329 million NBN-ZTE deal – were linked to the 2004 elections anomaly.

The Truth Commission was created by President Aquino by Executive Order No. 1 to “primarily seek and find the truth on, and toward this end, investigate reports of graft and corruption of such scale and magnitude that shock and offend the moral and ethical sensibilities of the people.”

Here’s ABS-CBN’s report:

Sundan maigi ang Truth Commission

Published by Ellen on August 1, 2010

Sa mga nagku-kwestyun ng legalidad ng Executive Order No. 1 na nagbubuo ng truth Commission, sinabi ni Pangulong Aquino na pumunta na lang sa Supreme Court.

Sabi ni Aquino,”Iyung sinasabi pong unconstitutional, iyun ang opiyun ng ilang kongresista.Kami po may opinion din. Ang huhusga kung sino ang tama ang opinion, Korte Suprema. Palagay namin ay tama iyung ginagawa namin.”

Hindi naman nakapagtataka na umalma kaagad ang mga kaalyado ni Gloria Arroyo sa pagbuo ng Truth Commission na siyang mag-iimbestiga ng mga corruption at ibang katiwalian na nangyari sa siyam na taon na administrasyon ni Arroyo.

Sinabi ni House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman na kukwestyunin nila sa korte ang legalidad ng Executive Order No. 1 dahil sabi niya, sa pamamagitan lamang ng batas, na ipapasa ng Kongreso, mabubuo ang isang Commission.

Sinabi na rin ito ni Sen. Joker Arroyo. Sabi pa nga niya kung gagawa si P-Noy ng Truth Commission, sayang lang daw ang oras at pera dahil walang ngipin ito. Hindi raw ito maaring mag-subpoena o magpilit ng isang tao na humarap sa imbestigasyon.

The Truth Commission

Published by Ellen on July 30, 2010

Highlights:
• Truth Commission will just investigate, not prosecute
• Powers limited to recommendation for prosecution
• It will have a life-span of two and half years. Up to Dec. 2012
• Scope of work: reports of graft and corruption during the previous administration . Meaning the administration of Gloria Arroyo.
• The Commission will decide which cases to investigate

House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman of the Arroyo-led Lakas-Kampi-CMD party said in a statement on Saturday that their bloc is “seriously considering” challenging the constitutionality of Executive Order No. 1 before the courts.

Lagman said that the creation of the commission may have been unconstitutional, since only Congress can create new offices and commissions based on the 1987 Constitution.
http://www.gmanews.tv/story/197479/house-minority-questions-aquinos-eo-on-truth-commission

MALACAÑAN PALACE
MANILA

EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 1

CREATING THE PHILIPPINE TRUTH COMMISSION OF 2010

WHEREAS, Article XI, Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines solemnly enshrines the principle that a public office is a public trust and mandates that public officers and employees, who are servants of the people, must at all times be accountable to the latter, serve them with utmost responsibility, integrity, loyalty and efficiency, act with patriotism and justice, and lead modest lives;

A necessary toothless tiger

Published by Ellen on July 16, 2010

by Harry Roque Much has been said about the Truth Commission. While it is true that this body promised by President Noynoy Aquino as a…