Now that I got your attention....
One of those American late-night talk show hosts put it succinctly regarding Britney Spears: You have to be a particularly bad mother to lose a child custody case to a lazy, no-talent, freeloading scum like Kevin Federline. In the case of the Philippines, you have to be a really awful president to make Erap Estrada look [in no way good but certainly] better.
There was definitely corruption in the Erap Administration and it went all the way to the top. Gloria Arroyo did him one better (actually, several times over worse) by destroying institutions which will not be able to recover long after she leaves office (hopefully) in 2010. To wit:
Gloria Arroyo destroyed the integrity of the election system by, among others, appointing Benjamin Abalos as its chairman. Where do we begin? His transgressions are numerous yet he has not been called to account for even one. He make a mockery of the judiciary by continually insisting that the bidding for the polling machines was on the up-and-up when the Supreme Court has already ruled that it was attended with irregularities. He then thumbed his nose at the Supreme Court by refusing to return the machines to the bidder and to get the money that had already been paid to them. Why the Supreme Court never disbarred, suspended or even reprimanded him in the face his contemptuous actuations is just baffling. He must have been busy trying to “generate foreign investments for the country” so he neglected all his important duties in the COMELEC. Ben Abalos must have a direct line to the devil. Even Cory Aquino, who initially appointed him to his launching pad to different government positions would only go as far as expressing support for Jun Lozada, the person who exposed his alleged nefarious activities in brokering the ZTE-NBN deal. With him being held accountable for these huge scandals, it's no wonder that people also overlook lesser offenses such as his alleged support of his son-in-law's candidacy while a COMELEC commissioner.
Gloria Arroyo has also cheapened the presidency by acting as a witness to the contract between NiHao and GeoGrace, and their Chinese counterpart companies. This is akin to Erap's claim that he only acted as guarantor to pal Jaime Dichaves when he signed the PCI-Equitable Bank papers.
At least Erap fired then Customs Commissioner Pedro Mendoza when the later pointed a pistol in a threatening manner (Can you do that in a manner different than threatening?) at another person in a hotel. PASG chief Antonio Villar, despite the fact that he may have caught smuggled goods but no big-time smuggler to date, will likely go without even the proverbial slap on the wrist for the mauling incident involving his bodyguards and a businessman in a hotel. Groundwork to exonerate him is already being laid by the palace. They have made it very clear that the bodyguards involved in the incident were not personal bodyguards but assigned by the Philippine National Police, all 56 of them. It really does not make any difference whether they were personal or assigned bodyguards. In whose behest do you think those bodyguards beat up that businessman?
Incidentally, the official reason given as to the big number of bodyguards assigned to him is that he receives a lot of death threats. Of course, he receives death threats. He confiscates smuggled goods so those smugglers would not be pleased. If he also arrested those who smuggled the goods that he confiscated, maybe there would be less people making threats against him.
Gloria Arroyo lessened the integrity of the Office of the Special Prosecutor when men who were doing their jobs like Simeon Marcelo were forced out when they were prevented from going after wrongdoers who may be close to her. Current efforts to oust Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio may appear comical if not for the fact the he remains the last ray of hope for the office.
Gloria Arroyo's appointment of Raul Gonzalez as Secretary of Justice is just another example of appointing people who would do her bidding, even to the detriment of the nation. The man has already stared down the dark abyss, galloped down the valley of death when he had to undergo kidney transplant operations, and returned to work with nary a change of heart (maybe he should have also undergone heart transplant operation as his is three sizes too small). He kept right on going after those who opposed Gloria Arroyo while doing nothing against transgressors who are close to her. Noli Sugay, the Manila City Administrator under then mayor Lito Atienza who was accused of shooting a jeepney driver in the face after an altercation would most likely go unpunished now that the case has passed from people's memory. The fiscal who found probable cause in the libel case against Jake Macasaet nine years after the complaint had been filed would unlikely face any sanctions. Jake Macasaet is not exactly a Gloria Arroyo supporter, you see.
We should keep a vigilant eye on the PCGG as it would still be business as usual for the commissioners despite the fact that the Supreme Court has recommended disbarment proceedings against PCGG chairman Camilo Sabio. Again, the groundwork to justify Camilo Sabio's retention as PCGG chairman is already underway. The palace has already stated that the PCGG chairman does not have to be a lawyer. Therefore, even if Camilo Sabio is stripped of his privilege to practice law, he can stay as PCGG chairman.
PCGG commissioners serve at the pleasure of the president who may dismiss or ask for a commission's resignation when she has lost trust and confidence in them. When a commissioner has been stripped of his privilege to practice law, that should be enough for the president to lose trust or confidence in him. In fact, even a hint of impropriety by a commissioner should be enough for any decent president to lose trust and confidence in him.
In Camilo Sabio's case, what we have is more than a hint of impropriety. He admitted to committing acts which the Supreme Court itself has adjudged to be improper. Of course, the operative term here is ANY DECENT PRESIDENT.
One of those American late-night talk show hosts put it succinctly regarding Britney Spears: You have to be a particularly bad mother to lose a child custody case to a lazy, no-talent, freeloading scum like Kevin Federline. In the case of the Philippines, you have to be a really awful president to make Erap Estrada look [in no way good but certainly] better.
There was definitely corruption in the Erap Administration and it went all the way to the top. Gloria Arroyo did him one better (actually, several times over worse) by destroying institutions which will not be able to recover long after she leaves office (hopefully) in 2010. To wit:
Gloria Arroyo destroyed the integrity of the election system by, among others, appointing Benjamin Abalos as its chairman. Where do we begin? His transgressions are numerous yet he has not been called to account for even one. He make a mockery of the judiciary by continually insisting that the bidding for the polling machines was on the up-and-up when the Supreme Court has already ruled that it was attended with irregularities. He then thumbed his nose at the Supreme Court by refusing to return the machines to the bidder and to get the money that had already been paid to them. Why the Supreme Court never disbarred, suspended or even reprimanded him in the face his contemptuous actuations is just baffling. He must have been busy trying to “generate foreign investments for the country” so he neglected all his important duties in the COMELEC. Ben Abalos must have a direct line to the devil. Even Cory Aquino, who initially appointed him to his launching pad to different government positions would only go as far as expressing support for Jun Lozada, the person who exposed his alleged nefarious activities in brokering the ZTE-NBN deal. With him being held accountable for these huge scandals, it's no wonder that people also overlook lesser offenses such as his alleged support of his son-in-law's candidacy while a COMELEC commissioner.
Gloria Arroyo has also cheapened the presidency by acting as a witness to the contract between NiHao and GeoGrace, and their Chinese counterpart companies. This is akin to Erap's claim that he only acted as guarantor to pal Jaime Dichaves when he signed the PCI-Equitable Bank papers.
At least Erap fired then Customs Commissioner Pedro Mendoza when the later pointed a pistol in a threatening manner (Can you do that in a manner different than threatening?) at another person in a hotel. PASG chief Antonio Villar, despite the fact that he may have caught smuggled goods but no big-time smuggler to date, will likely go without even the proverbial slap on the wrist for the mauling incident involving his bodyguards and a businessman in a hotel. Groundwork to exonerate him is already being laid by the palace. They have made it very clear that the bodyguards involved in the incident were not personal bodyguards but assigned by the Philippine National Police, all 56 of them. It really does not make any difference whether they were personal or assigned bodyguards. In whose behest do you think those bodyguards beat up that businessman?
Incidentally, the official reason given as to the big number of bodyguards assigned to him is that he receives a lot of death threats. Of course, he receives death threats. He confiscates smuggled goods so those smugglers would not be pleased. If he also arrested those who smuggled the goods that he confiscated, maybe there would be less people making threats against him.
Gloria Arroyo lessened the integrity of the Office of the Special Prosecutor when men who were doing their jobs like Simeon Marcelo were forced out when they were prevented from going after wrongdoers who may be close to her. Current efforts to oust Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio may appear comical if not for the fact the he remains the last ray of hope for the office.
Gloria Arroyo's appointment of Raul Gonzalez as Secretary of Justice is just another example of appointing people who would do her bidding, even to the detriment of the nation. The man has already stared down the dark abyss, galloped down the valley of death when he had to undergo kidney transplant operations, and returned to work with nary a change of heart (maybe he should have also undergone heart transplant operation as his is three sizes too small). He kept right on going after those who opposed Gloria Arroyo while doing nothing against transgressors who are close to her. Noli Sugay, the Manila City Administrator under then mayor Lito Atienza who was accused of shooting a jeepney driver in the face after an altercation would most likely go unpunished now that the case has passed from people's memory. The fiscal who found probable cause in the libel case against Jake Macasaet nine years after the complaint had been filed would unlikely face any sanctions. Jake Macasaet is not exactly a Gloria Arroyo supporter, you see.
We should keep a vigilant eye on the PCGG as it would still be business as usual for the commissioners despite the fact that the Supreme Court has recommended disbarment proceedings against PCGG chairman Camilo Sabio. Again, the groundwork to justify Camilo Sabio's retention as PCGG chairman is already underway. The palace has already stated that the PCGG chairman does not have to be a lawyer. Therefore, even if Camilo Sabio is stripped of his privilege to practice law, he can stay as PCGG chairman.
PCGG commissioners serve at the pleasure of the president who may dismiss or ask for a commission's resignation when she has lost trust and confidence in them. When a commissioner has been stripped of his privilege to practice law, that should be enough for the president to lose trust or confidence in him. In fact, even a hint of impropriety by a commissioner should be enough for any decent president to lose trust and confidence in him.
In Camilo Sabio's case, what we have is more than a hint of impropriety. He admitted to committing acts which the Supreme Court itself has adjudged to be improper. Of course, the operative term here is ANY DECENT PRESIDENT.
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