The supernatural occurrence at the Supreme Court

The magnificent injustice promulgated by the 9 magistrates of the Supreme Court on its ruling on the Marcos burial matches to a T the stunning evil of the martial law dictatorship including its majestic kleptocracy. It makes one believe in the supernatural. Only unearthly powers can make the magistrates fail to acknowledge the jurisprudence of the different courts including recognition of the international community of the atrocities of conjugal dictatorship. We can add this mystery to the 30 year old puzzle about who masterminded the assassination of Ninoy.

What happened to the learned men and women of the Supreme Court, the last bastion of liberty? Was the judgment payback for the impeachment of the former CJ? I expected one justice, previously connected as corporate secretary to a chain of hotel owned by a crony of Imelda (whose name made the dictionary to describe vulgar extravagance), to abstain as a display of impartiality. How many others worked with, worked for or worked on the Marcos interest? Where is justice in those instances where seemingly payback becomes a factor or worst, the judgment formed from a cue of the executive branch? 

I get it. Du30 is paying a debt of gratitude for his father bagging a post in the Marcos administration. He promised the burial during the campaign. Nobody gave a flying fart and even voted him into office with 16M votes, anti-Marcos included. The electorate got exactly what he promised. Next time he promises something, never take it lightly. 

In one speech he foretold of a lessened quality of life in relation to his antagonism against the US and it’s not about a ban on Cohiba. Let’s take that with more than a grain of salt.

What about the 1987 constitution crafted specifically to thwart a repeat of 1081? Was it not clear in that document that it repudiates the Marcos rule?

‘Abandon hopes all ye who think that there is justice left’, rings in paraphrase of Dante Alighieri.

With the decision, I suspect a daisy chain complete. The judiciary, taking cue from the executive branch already contemplates a dangerous proposition. Imagine the current dispensation entirely able to manipulate the legislative branch, if it had not happened yet.  Will a repeat of 1081 be far? Take it from Lord Acton “Power corrupts, absolute power corrupts absolutely”

More bizarre things have started to happen. Men and women victimized by 1081, suffering so much pain, now occupying positions of influence, seem to prefer dead silence about the decision. Are they burying the hatchet against the Marcoses? Have they forgotten and forgiven? It is supernatural. What about the likes of Joma Sison, Nur Misuari, are they to stand idly as Du30 makes a mockery of the martyrdom of people who stood against 1081 and bled an ocean for their principles?

The Du30 win would not have happened had the Aquino administration really took the ’Daang matuwid”route . The CJ impeachment, the De Lima instigated GMA incarceration, the Binay black bag operation, Yolanda rehab, all look suspect not to mention the MRT,  DAP.

Mar Roxas, Grace Poe, Jejomar Binay and more so the late Miriam Defensor-Santiago would not condone the Extra Judicial Killing which is now reaching genocide proportion.

  

Now the road looks like leading straight to perdition.

Ekomium for the next Philippine President

With no clear front runner among four candidates for Philippine president in the coming election based on surveys, it follows the electorate remains ambivalent about issues. A great number of concerns hog the attention of the electorate, each as loud as the next, like having autism that causes focus deficit. Three of the four candidates, running neck to neck in the race emphasize the poverty situation with only one calling for the imperative of security & stability. All the candidates are burdened with heavy personal baggage on the road to the palace. High scale plunder, vigilantism, rawness and indecisiveness comprise some of the adverse traits being thrown at the candidates. 

In my advanced years, I would like to witness some improvement from the debacle of the current administration, for me certainly been a big letdown after unanimous support from the electorate. The best to my mind was the administration of FVR with his social reform program that made a clear mark. It was downhill all the way after FVR with the succeeding two presidents incarcerated for corruption.

So it’s back to the drawing board.

I understand, the incoming president may not be a miracle worker (but who is say) to resolve the multi-faceted problems Philippine society faces within six years. However, I am hoping seeds of good governance would be sown and nourished in propagating the utopian vision.

Past the campaign speeches and political promises, exactly what are we looking for in our search for the next Philippine president?

Integrity would have to be the foremost characteristic that the incoming leader should possess, denoting courage; synonymous with justice and accountability. We need people and institution to consistently apply integrity for democracy and freedom to thrive.

I wonder why nobody is campaigning for good governance. ‘Daang matuwid’? Not the same boss.

Is it because politics invariably include horse trading? Sometimes, hard bargains result in bending rules. Some think being elected is a license to bend rules. Bend the rules too far, consequently rules break. When rules break, hell breaks loose and before anyone realizes what happened, enormous amounts have been carted away as in the fertilizer and the P10B pork barrel fund scam; next, we find the bureaucracy sanctioning extra judicial killing and desaparecidos in the name of stability. The public is shocked but eventually, the shock wears off.

40 odd years after the declaration of martial law covering a period of brutality, revisionists now claim it was the golden years.

Rumors circulated of the link between the Disbursement Acceleration Program and the impeachment of the Supreme Court justice. This alleged horse trade would have reduced a democratic exercise to a mere financial treat. Come to think of it, it was simple vote buying if it were true, which is common place but just the same, a tragedy of universal proportion.

How about the integrity of freedom? Some claim full exercise of freedom in our society. I disagree entirely as justice with its slow grind contradicts the notion. As the saying goes:” Justice delayed is justice denied” How then can we claim freedom without justice?

I read somewhere that of 11,000 cases submitted in the court of appeals for decision in 2001, only around 2,000 cases were resolved as of 2007. Six years, by my count is a lifetime for those crying for justice. The Maguindanao massacre has been in the courts for six years. In the national capital judicial region, cases pending in the lower courts by the end 2012 was counted to be 167,000.  However, the most high profile, slow moving, and time bending case of all time must be the coco-levy scam which is in its 40^th year.

So many crimes are committed because the probability of apprehension is low. The Panay news posted in the net an item that revealed 33,000 high profile crimes remaining unresolved as of July 2015.  How can one feel free if perpetrators of crimes go untouched? A citizen can easily be victimized with the culprit either getting off scot free or arrested but able to prolong the proceeding of the case.

What can you say about law makers who are law breakers when they escape prosecution? That worsens the crime factor and yet these politicians win in elections. So the electorate has only itself to blame.

Crisis management takes second seat in the governance table. Crisis means the rapid deterioration of an unfolding situation. The nation has seen some pretty good examples of unpredictable situations quickly turning into a bloodbath, figuratively and literally, a few examples include the Luneta Massacre and Mamasapano.

Some blame bureaucracy for the slow response but bureaucracy only works in normal situations. Crisis needs another organization of people that would correctly respond to situations.

Two years after Yolanda, majority of those dislocated have not been properly rehabilitated. Sickness, hunger and spread of vices along with crime indicate crisis of immense proportion.

The Supreme Court is in crisis being the subject of severe criticism. If the citizenry cannot respect the last bastion of justice where can it put its trust?

But the biggest crisis still ongoing is social reform.

We have been bombarded with the upgrade of the country credit rating due to the improvement in Gross Domestic Product. But how does that relate to 25% of the population under the poverty line and those in the fringes? Despite the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Rappler Philippines reported in July 2015 that the International Food Policy Research institute indexed country hunger at some 6 points above the conditions experienced in east and Southeast Asia.

Senator Poe, if I have this right, caught the public’s imagination when she reported 12M families suffering from continuing extreme hunger.

In a related matter, the Philippines (GDP U$ 742B) is ranked 150th of 191 countries in terms of health expenditures with a mere 4.6% of GDP. In more graphic terms, it translates to 22 deaths/1000 live births ranked 80^th and 114 maternal deaths/1000 live births ranked 74^th according to the CIA fact book. Crudely that means 100 children and 600 mothers dying daily. These may owe to yet another fact that the Philippines have just 1 hospital bed/1000 population.

Health problems are compounded when disaster strikes. We have seen the response in our disaster management and risk reduction. What do you think?

For education, the Philippines spend less than 3% of GDP. The United Nations recommends 6%. The Philippine statistics Office released a report in 2015 that indicated 4M are out of school youth in 2013. 20% are out of school due to insufficient income. I do not know how the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program which claims 4m enrollees relates to the report.

Corruption is yet another continuing crisis, existing at all corners of the government bureaucracy. The high profile cases may have budged the anti-corruption campaign a length but it does need more effort. We can only thank the ombudsman in her determined pursuit of her role.

Taxes that fed large scale scams most notably the alleged P10B Janet Napoles, come largely from the middle class who are taxed over 40% only to endure the MRT along with the whole wretched public transport system among other failures

This brings to the fore imagination but hopefully not too far left. There had been accomplishments with new ideas in our society among them:

·        The community mortgage program (CMP), a 30 year experience that offers a novel approach for land tenancy unlocked non-performing assets for the homeless especially in urban areas.

·        Before China became belligerent in its pursuit of the Spratleys, there was relative calm in the relations between China, the Philippines and Vietnam  with the joint marine seismic undertaking. It was a fresh approach in dealing with the disputed territories although a number of legal experts say it was illegal.

·        Undeniably, the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program achieved success with its expansion of enrollees and programs.

Lastly, communication is a required skill to inform and negotiate.

In a period of 75 years since becoming a nation, our country remained feudalistic with more misses than hits in our national program stunting our growth. Our efforts and institution have been given low ranking in the international community. Imagine Vietnam.

If we mirror the future with our current situation, we can only hope our children survive the onslaught of change. So much has happened and we are lagging so much behind that we are lent entirely vulnerable.

I am hoping the successful candidate for president can usher a new era for the country.

It is time for new politics.