Senate majority leader Francis Pangilinan said if the Supreme Court’s ruling on Romulo Neri’s taking refuge under the cloak of executive privilege to hide the involvement of Gloria Arroyo in a scandalously overpriced telecommunications deal, becomes final and executory, “the Blue Ribbon committee will henceforth be powerless to conduct its inquiries on alleged wrongdoing involving high ranking government officials. All the executive secretary has to do is send a similar letter he sent in the Neri case by giving a general reason for invoking the privilege, then we in the Senate can no longer ask questions on the issue.”
“This can be done in the Joc Joc Bolante case, the NorthRail and SouthRail projects, the Spratlys Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) case and so forth and so on. Hence, we will have a toothless Blue Ribbon Committee,” he said.
Following the “self-serving interpretation” of Malacañang on the Supreme Court decision on executive privilege, former Senate president Franklin Drilon has suggested the abolition of the Blue Ribbon committee.
“The Supreme Court decision on executive privilege and Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita’s exaggerated and self-serving interpretation of the ruling have effectively castrated the Senate of its constitutionally mandated prerogative to investigate public corruption through its oversight functions,” Drilon said.
Pangilinan warned that “not only will this decision expand the areas of executive privilege, thereby limiting further the public’s access to information, the Senate’s role as a constitutional check and balance on other branches of government will likewise be severely impaired. It will be open season for the illegal and the corrupt in the executive branch!”
I agree with the assessment and warnings of Pangilinan, Drilon and many other distinguished legal minds like Fr. Joaquin Bernas and former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban.
Panganiban said, “I believe that the majority decision failed to check presidential abuse; worse, it imprudently expanded executive privilege to cover wrongdoing.”
Bernas said, “This would revolutionize the doctrine on executive privilege in a manner that can affect all other investigations. This can, for instance, hamper effective use of the recently promulgated writ of amparo and writ of habeas data. It can also cripple efforts to battle corruption, which is a world-recognized specialty in the Philippines.
But honestly, I want the Supreme Court to stand firm on the decision penned by Associate Justice Teresita de Castro because I want Gloria Arroyo and her gang to continue what they are doing now in trampling on the Constitution and ransacking the national treasury. I don’t want them hampered by Senate investigations.
I’m sure Arroyo’s ruthless consigliore, Ronaldo Puno, will be inspired by the Supreme Court’s decision to push again for Charter Change so that they could be in power beyond 2010 to forever. He will be in a good position to supervise the operation in the coming months as the new executive secretary.
(Sources in Malacañang said Puno will be replaced as interior secretary by Gilbert Teodoro, who will be turning over the defense portfolio to Hermogenes Esperon, who will finally be retiring as AFP chief in May.)
A reversal by the Supreme Court of its much-criticized decision will merely dampen the anger of the people just like what happened in 2006 when the High Court declared as illegal Proclamation 1017.
The Supreme Court decision on Neri’s case has appalled and outraged many people. But there’s not much that we, who lack their gall, can do.
I’d rather take the instruction of Napoleon Bonaparte “not to disturb the enemy while she is in the process of destroying herself.”
From George Gaddi:
Indeed, our justice system is screwed up. I have enough reasons to believe that Gloria Arroyo not only controls the nine chief justices but the other five as well.
These justices in the Supreme Court are now one with the administration. They had to make it appear that not all of them are in favor of the ruling to make it look less suspicious.
The last line of your article kind of made my adrenalin rush quite a bit. I believe the People’s Court would mean the majority of us level headed Filipinos. I hope the Junior Officers of the AFP ( I’m not so sure of the PNP ) would get stronger all the more, increase in number, and succeed in convincing their ranks that they are the catalyst. The key to a successful coup.
I don’t want to wait ’till 2010 since I don’t believe Gloria is stepping down from power. Not in the present situation she’s in.
Please send my regards to Senator Trillanes and company. Although we’ve never met or ever will, tell them to keep their spirits strong. They’ve gone this far and are still suffering so much but I believe that there is payback time and boy, I can’t wait to see that day. They’re all going down! The administration and their cohorts in the military, executive and the judiciary.
Inside story: SC justices had pre-determined votes on Neri case
Wow, ang dami namang palusot! Unbelievable! Sabi nga, kung gugustuhin puede namang gawin. Dito sa amin meron nga kaming mga unwritten laws that are based on common sense and they are given some weight especially when addressing issues of graft and corruption lalo na kung nakalimutang gumawa ng mga written laws para mahinto ang kurakutan. Ang daming abogado sa Pilipinas walang magawa? Yuck! Ang bobo naman!
Korap Gloria is so enchanted with her evil self, let’s not disturb the bitch. She won’t wake up anyway and if she ever does, nasa kangkungan na s’ya!
Panganiban said, “I believe that the majority decision failed to check presidential abuse; worse, it imprudently expanded executive privilege to cover wrongdoing.”
Ito ba iyong tao na ibinase sa Bibliya ang pagbibigay ng iligal na trono kay Gloria?! Is he saying that he’s sorry?! TSE!!!
What do expect from Gloria Arroyo’s rubber stamp Supreme Court? It castrated the Senate. Constitutional gridlock will continue between Malacanang extension the GMA Supreme Court and the Senate. Fair game? Walang mangyari habang hawak ni Gloria ang mga referees (justices). Hindi maka-first base ang impeachment dahil kontrol niya ang Lakas-Kampi tongressmen.
SumpPit,
Thanks for the link.
Kung ganyan ang botohan ng SC justices, “voted even before reading the final draft of the decision”, dapat null and void din ang ruling nila pro Neri.
Sabi ni ex-senador Jovito Salonga, a legal luminary, “that kind of voting is unconstitutional”.
Aba, at gusto na namang makaisa ng impaktang Gloria. Nagkakalat at namamayagpag ang masasama sa Supreme Court!
SC is now renamed Arroyo’s Supreme Court.
With those sipsip justices there who kowtow to the queen, how can people expect fair and impartial justice?
Am afraid we will soon lose an important pillar of democracy.
This “Mr Noted” Pangilinan is part of the problem we now have. If he allowed verification of the questionable ERs and COCs during the senate canvassing, the issue of legitimacy would have been settled.
Mr Noted can raise all protest up to high heaven and the people will not even listen to him.
Funny, Sen Angara who kept on pleading for the way the senate was railroading the count is now on the side of the evil he detested.
Hypocrites!
Sinabi ko na nga ba na itsahan ng granada. Ano, may iba pa bang solution diyan?
Ka Isagani
Buhayin ang Light-A-Fire movement. Iyan ang solusyon diyan.
Hopefully the supreme court justices who voted to cloak Neri with executive privilege do not get anal poisoning from gloria.
In her speech in Hongkong, GMA bragged that corruption in the Philippines would be gone in 2010. Ha, ha, ha…of course it will be gone since her term expires in 2010.
The aftereffects of GMA’s massive corruption during her term will be felt by ordinary people by 2010 and beyond. The next Filipino generation will have to pay anomalous projects (finished and unfinished) in billions plus interests.
Corruption will never be gone. Paikot ikot lang yan sa
Swine Factory ni Mang Mike. Ano ba to ? Bagong tuklas
na scam “Swine Scam” kuno. Matindi pa sa Fertilizer Scam
ni Bosing Joc-Joc. Maraming pang scam na ma unearth until
2010. Kaso yong mga matapang na mga whistle blower medyo
takot dahil baka matimbog.
That was a classic coup de grace to end all oppositon to the powers in being. Moral laws of the land have deeply eroded and accepted voluntarily or compulsory. Our independence and freedom are sequestered. And there are more up their sleeves n case there are some more recalcitrants. All as a result of brilliant minds of the law kitchen where there are pots of gravvy blessed by the lords’ minions.
“A reversal by the Supreme Court of its much-criticized decision will merely dampen the anger of the people just like what happened in 2006 when the High Court declared as illegal Proclamation 1017.”
Anger and hunger are bound to make people act and take things into their own hands – unwittingly, that is what this Administration is trying to do.
Speaking of “anger”, here’s a message to bloggers from Knight Citizen News Network (KCNN) on “the notion that blogging under the influence of severe rage can be hazardous to your wallet.” http://www.kcnn.org/legal_risk/rule_2_animation/
sorry out of topic…balita sa PSN “solon to Fr. Oscar Cruz : mag sorry ka sa first family….bwahahaha tinaman ng lintek talaga,baliktad na ang mundo,isang pari o alagad ng diyos hihingi ng sorry sa devil family…ano kaya ang reaction ng CBsobre este CBCP pala…pwede pa ang solon humingi ng sorry kasi devel to devil ang usapan…hik hik hik
We must not deceive ourselves. We are not a democratic country anymore, we are under dictatorial rule expertly disguised by legal manipulations.
Democracy is dying in the Philippines if not already dead, a walking dead – zombie. We appear alive and free on the outside but are spiritless inside, we just go through the motions blindly, mostly just being herded like mindless cattle to whatever direction they want us to go. Strangely enough, some of us believe this is the
rule of law.” Does rule of law mean loss of free will and capacity to act on conscience?
As Yuko says “kawawang Pilipinas!”
Kawawa naman ang Pilipinas. Kahit anong kayod ang gawin ng ating mga OFW at mga masisipag na mamayan dito sa ating bayan napakahirap umunlad ang buhay ng mga PInoy. Kaya naman pala kabikabilaan ang nakawan, patongan, at kurakotan sa gobierno. Ngayon may lumutang na naman na isyu mula sa COA–nakawang baboy? He-he, by 2010 history na lang daw ang isyu ng corruption sa gobierno. Siguro kung idineport na kina Taning ang mga magnanakaw. Nakakaawa naman ang bayan natin, araw-araw na lang may mga isyung pumuputok tungkol sa corruption. Dumadami tuloy ang mga kaso natin ng hypertension. Nagkakasakit na ang mga Pinoy sa tindi ng kanilang galit sa mga namumunong kurakot.Tanging mga tao lamang ang makakalutas ng problema ng bayan. At ayon pa rin sa radical na pananaw wala na tayong maasahan pang pagbabago maliban lang sa isang madugong komprontasion. Huwag naman po sana.
Once again the senate oppositions are showing their arrogance, while the senate are throwing all their punches to the executive branch relentlessy an aim to weaken the institution.they’re now also focusing their criticism to weaken the Judicial system of our land,While they can file a motion of reconsideration,for the reversal of the ruling,The result they expect should be on their liking,Wishful thinking.
What? Government’s P900 million for hogs (babuyan) program went to fund Gloria Arroyo’s 2004 baboy election campaign. That’s hundred thousand tons of lechon baboy. I’m sure malversation of public funds is covered under GMA’s executive privilege. We should start butchering those two-legged pigs in Malacanang and their cohorts.
Grabe talaga and makinarya ni evil bitch-from fertilizers to livestocks! Ano pa ang hindi niya ninakawan?
Ebvmart, what arrogance? Who are showing the arrogance? Di ba si evil bitch at ang kanyang mga mouthpieces? To weaken the evil bitches’ institution? You must be kidding! The evil bitches’ institution was based on a fantasy? Non- existent governance! And to weaken the judicial system? Where on earth do you find murderers like Leviste and Villarosa out of jail? Which country can you find a rapist of a little girl almost out of the jail too? Which country has a supereme court that is virtually blind to the corruption of its supposedly highest citizen? Who is having a wishful thinking? The stinking evil bitch! Sige lang, itodo na niya ang panglalapastangan niya ng bayan. Let her continue her destruction of all our institutions! The last hurray will be that of our countrymen! Once she is out of her stolen position, pupulutin siya sa kankungan! Bagay na bagay ang orange suit na may P sa likod! Kasama niya ang mga kumanta ng “GLORIA”!
In this blog we are sharing knowledge of what we know and what we think about the criminal deeds of arroyo la cosa nostra. This is all good and well sharing ideas on this blog. But all of these are just passive activities. It does not change or contribute anything in the real world. Maybe we can do something instead of just blah, blah, blah on this blog. That’s something readers on this blog need to think about.
Xman, most of the bloggers here are in one way or the other involved in educating and influencing their their sphere of influence on the issues of corruption in the evil bitches’ regime. My immediate family is very involved in rallies locally in their own localities.
For us who are out of the country, it is not so easy to join these show of force. But our influence on our siblings and friends are taken into account. We are a force to reckon with. Afterall, our remittances keep the country afloat in the evil bitches’ regime!
I agree with you parasabayan. It is very hard for readers of this blog who are outside of the country to physically participate in any activities in pinas. But there must be something that all readers of this blog can do whether they are inside or outside of the country. We don’t need to do big things. Each of the readers of ellen’s blog can do little things that are doable and if you add it up it will have an impact. Just imagine if other blogs will see what’s happening in ellen’s blog and let say it produce a small result. It will be a success because other blogs might replicate what we are doing here and again that will add up too. Those are possibilities for now.
Now, the questions are what can we do? That’s why we need brainstormings participated by all reader’s of this blog.
I am not telling anyone not to blog. I want readers to blog so that we can share ideas here in ellen’s place.
All I am saying is maybe we can do something as a group in ellen’s blog instead of just blah, blah, blah. It might not sink in right now for whatever reason but hopefully when we all got tired of blah, blah, blah then maybe that will be the time when we will realize that we have to do something.
Naman!!!!
Pati mga baboy, binaboy. Kailan kaya nila bubuwayahin ang kapwa nila buwaya?
How can we live deliberately when we do not have the power to choose? When the one great equalizer – the power to vote, can be negated?
In a pseudo-democracy such as ours, any government instrumentality will readily concede that we, the people, have rights to options, while effectively eliminating options that are detrimental to the survival of the current dispensation.
We always have the option to remain passive or to speak out against the excesses of government. The former assures mere survival; the latter gives life only of the kind that is best lived in the company of angels or demons.
We always have the option to remain in the Philippines or to go somewhere else. The former offers mere survival, if at all; the latter offers possibilities ranging from financial freedom to freedom from life itself, as in the case of those in some other nations’ death rows.
We always have the option to chose the name/s we would write in our ballots. Unfortunately, they also have the option to count or not to count.
We have the power to chose. They only took our choices away.
PARASABAYAN, I understand your sentiment but let me remind you,”The law is harsh but it is the law”.Nobody is to blame here if GMA is still clinging to his post up to now but the senators themselves,They conducted so many investigations and ended up,not finishing anything we have the jueteng payola,amari,FGs alleged smuggling,the Macapagal avenue etc.But we dont see any clear conclusions on this matters.They bet all their chips on Lozada which up to now his statement is uncorroborated.Like the other witneseses he too is an student of the alleged Ping witness academy,incidentally Ping has also an axe to grind with the first couple.Jamby came into picture believing he is holding a precious evidence,where the FG initial was on it and so it turn out its a farce soon she will have her day in court in Quezon city in the days to come for falsification of documents.Now we have this Senator Kiko who surprisingly become very vocal for the past few days,what does he wants to prove that he is a better man than Gabby conception in the eyes of sharon.in layman term we call it the papogi points.We also have Cayetano who was a so so congressman in Paranaque and who took advantage of FGs miseries to propel himself to the senate are these the kind of senators that you believe will deliver us to utopia? nah nah.The sincerity of these senators are questionable,are they out there to get GMA or out there only to get her crown and wear it too,it seems like they are only using the ZTE-NBN scandal to take advantage of media mileage that will drag on till 2010 election.
Again, the power of choice. The Senate has all the right to chose who it will call to testify and clinch fitting closures to these investigations. The executive branch, did not even question that power. It merely ‘bought’ witnesses testimonies, either through threats or rewards.
If media chose passiveness in Lozada’s case, we could have had a case where the choice was simply eliminated by the very government that is tasked to protect its peoples’ power to chose together with Lozada’s right to breathe.
Ang sabi ng mga matatanda hindi lang iisa ang araw. Sa aking pagkaintindi, kapag ang isang tao na pinaaalalahanan ay ayaw sumunod darating din ang araw na mararanasan niya ang hapdi ng kanyang kapangahasan. Ang mga bloggers ay araw-araw na nagbibigay ng babala sa mga nasa itaas na huwag abusuhin ang kanilang hiram na kapangyarihan. Kung nagiingay man at nakakapagbitiw ng mga mahahanghang na salita, bahagi na rin iyan ng pagpapalala upang gisingin ang mga ito sa kanilang kahibangan. Kung ayaw makinig, nasa kanila na iyan. Kung tutoo ang kasabihan na crime does not pay, ako’y naniniwala na balang araw ay pagbabayaran nilang lahat ang kanilang mga naging atraso sa bayan. Kaya tuloy lang ang pagsulat upang imulat ang bayan at hindi basta-basta napapaniwala ang mga tao sa mga huwad na pahayag ng pagsulong at kaunlaran mula sa mga tagapagsalita ng administrasyon na ito.
Jug,
I go to the woods and trek to recharge when feeling low and suffocated by the shenanigan and abracadabras of the pResident Evil, and then dakdak/sulat again when fully charged as Rxed by Dr. Kwak.
And yes, I fully agree with Ka Enchong that we have all the choices in the world, kaya lang pati ang choices natin ay kinorap ni Gloria!
…why did I spell choose with just a single o ? my mistake, sorry po.
Anyways, hindi araw-araw Pasko. Minsan, dumarating din ang Biyernes Santo. Laging madilim ang pagitan ng Domingo ni Ramos at ng Sabado ni Gloria. Ang kagandahan ng Sabado ni Gloria, ibinabadya nito ang muling pagdungaw ng liwanag sa Pasko ng Pagkabuhay.
Kiko,
what is wrong with you and rest of the members of the Senate Blue Ribbon, why do you act as if its end of the world?
why insist on suspending indefinitely the investigation on NBN/ZTE scam?
i DO NOT, for a second, buy your lame excuses that it would be an exercise in futility (to continue investigating) given the scandalous manner the Supreme Cursed had on Neri’s petition.
mga duwag na Senators kayo; what would be the convenient explanation this time for NOT summoning the 2 Chinese ZTE execs?
the ugly, morally corrosive virus from Malacanang, infected not only the supposedly independent highest judicial court; but apparently on its way, too, in gobbling the Senate without any token stand.
kawawang Pilipinas!
zen,
Really, Noted Kiko insists on an indefinite suspension of NBN/ZTE scam probe?
Yawa talaga ‘yang si Kiko Cuneta, he’s just NOTING the evils involved in the scam. Pagan-an, gan-an lang ‘yang mga ipokritong senadores, playing along with Korap Gloria for 2010!
Independent senator daw si Mr. Noted. Excuse me, I’ll just throw up!
Sa mga connected sa Senate dito, can you please post the composition of the Senate Electoral Tribunal (senators and justices) from 1999 to present?
There is a line of argument that I am trying to develop for the Neri case which is related to the SET.
Thanks.
ha ha ha, not a few weeks ago GO SENATE GO GO GO, ngayon mga G_GO na ang tawag sa Senate….
so kita nyo na ngayon ang tunay na kulay ng senado? KULAY ng PERA yan. simple lang. kaya lang nag imbestiga ang mga yan e DI KASI SILA NAKASAMA SA BAYARAN SA NBN ZTE.
are they really in search of truth? HINDEEEEEE . they are in sarch of the SUPPORTING PESO.
mukhang ngayon, kasama na sila sa budget kaya everybody happy na……
Sino sa Senado ang nag-iinteres sa pera ng ZTE, si Lacson?
Kahit pa iregalo mo kay Ping yung Central Bank baka barilin ka niyan sa ulo dahil iniinsulto mo siya. Pero kung si Enrile, Miriam, Revilla, Zubiri, Gordon, o Lapid, maaari siguro!
Malapit kay Lacson yung mga Intsik, lalo na yung nasa Binondo, pero kahit malapit kapag may anomalya ka, humanda ka.
By the way ebvmart, huwag mo kaming lokohin dito, pwede ba?
Pag napatunayan mong naging Congressman ng Parañaque si Alan Cayetano, hindi mo na ako makikita dito. Pero kung hindi mo magagawa, manahimik ka na lang. Walang kwenta’ng pinagsasasabi mo. Peke! Manang-mana sa mananaggal! Hahahaha!
I extend my apology to the people of Paranaque for mentioning in my blog that Senator Cayetano was your former congressman again my sincere apology.And talking about cayetano,a report on the senate performance came out yesterday and Senator defensor and enrile outshine them all,and as expected senator Revilla and senator Lapid outperformed again senator cayetano who is on the bottom list nothing have changed a bench warmer congressman to a benchwarmer senator.If this kind of senator is still chairs the blue ribbon committee then corrupt officials are still laughing their way to the bank.
Aba at may blog pala si ebvmart!
Sino kaya ang nagbabasa nung inilagay mong outperformed si Cayetano ni Revilla at Lapid? Anong report ba iyan? Yung sinulat ni Bunye?
Yehey! Mabuhay si Lito Lapid! Mahusay talaga, kahit hindi nagpapakita sa Senado. At si Cayetano pala ang nasa bottom ng listahan ha!
You wish.