Due process is better than no process. After much talk on the matter of the Philippines’ Supreme Court (SC) allegedly being beholden to and therefore supposedly necessarily opposed to whatever “reforms” President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III claims to be looking to institute, an impeachment complaint against SC Chief Justice Renato Corona has finally been filed at the House of Representatives today. Thus begins a journey within the framework of the law to remove what has long been made out to be a roadblock to Noynoy’s “reform” agenda. Presumably with Corona out of the way, any further excuse Noynoy might have to what so far has been a no-results administration will be removed.
The Philippines has a long history of holding up excuses for its failure to prosper. The sorry state of the country — the least promising in a region of high achievers — has been blamed on imperialism, foreign meddling, dictatorships, bad weather, lack of “freedom”, and corruption. The strongly plausible possibility that the Philippines failed to prosper simply because Filipinos consistently fail to achieve much of anything of consequence as a collective is not palatable to people looking for scapegoats. As such, catchy campaigns were built upon the notion of one crusade or the other against any one or a number of these national demons.
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The most recent incarnation of this tired approach to building rapport with a famously dim electorate is Noynoy’s “war” against “corruption”; billed Kung walang kurap, walang mahirap (“No corruption equals no poverty”). The key emotional hook used by Noynoy’s propaganda machine in this agenda is a demonisation of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the primary if not sole perpetrator of much of what is wrong with the Philippines today. As such, a Malacanang-led initiative to bring Arroyo to “justice” is the centrepiece of Noynoy’s reform platform. Chief Justice Corona being a so-called “midnight appointee” of Arroyo makes him the natural choice for a scapegoat to hedge against a likely failure on the part of the Aquino administration to tame the deeply entrenched beast of Philippine-style corruption.
If there is one thing we can be certain of, the outcome of an impeachment process whether it is successful in removing Corona or not will divide the nation. Regardless of how much of a semblance of due process is observed, it will come down to whether one is for or against one or the other protagonist (or antagonist) in this latest one of what has been series of all-too-familiar Philippine political circuses going back decades (or at least since the time a “free” press has turned Philippine politics into a spectator sport). Indeed, back in 2005 during the impeachment bid against Arroyo for alleged “electoral fraud”, this phenomenon had already been observed and documented by Connie “Sassy Lawyer” Veneracion in a Manila Standard Today article…
We have the entire Lower House debating an issue which is no longer about whether there is clear evidence that Gloria Arroyo did commit electoral fraud. The debate has become, quite simply, whether one is for or against Gloria Arroyo. And the media is propagating that twisted debate.
Fast forward to late 2011 and what this whole circus is really all about is readily evident — it is all about who in Congress is loyal to who. It’s all politics and much of whatever otherwise important things that remain pending in Congress will just simply have to take a back seat for now. Congress is preoccupied by this drama, and the public is fixated on it like it was the next Manny Pacquiao match.
But will the Philippine Government ever be able to get back to the business of building a nation?
For that matter, has it ever focused on said business?
A divided nation is not exactly the sort of fertile ground conducive to instituting reforms against the real hard problems — like endemic corruption. Indeed, rooting out corruption is really not as straightforward as the typical political slogan makes it out to be, much less the whole notion that the cause of poverty is something that can be directly attributed to corruption per se.
Which brings us to the real question:
What happens next once Corona is removed from the SC?
And, just the same, what then if he isn’t?
Will there be something about the Philippines that will be fundamentally different after this circus unfolds?
There better be.
Time, resources, and attention spans that Filipinos can ill-afford to squander on Fiesta Politics are at stake here. For this investment, we are expecting to see real results once the project is done and dusted — (1) an order of magnitude improvement in our chances of winning this so-called “war” against corruption and (2) the proceeds of that victory coming in the form of the promised elimination of poverty from the face of our sad archipelago.
Kung walang kurap, walang mahirap, right Chief?
As we, “the people” have now come to believe thanks to all the state-sponsored demagoguery we have so far been made to swallow, Chief Justice Corona is the roadblock to this promise of a corruption-free and poverty-free Philippines.
So for now;
Abangan ang susunod na kabanata.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
Buti nlang at matatanggal na ang pekeng Corona na yan
I’ll ask you this question that was asked above… what happens if Chief Justice Corona is removed? Even in matters that does not involve the judiciary, indi kayang gawan ng paraan ng kasalukuyang rehimen… so I doubt if something will change.
Justice will be served, alam m b n maraming ipinapatay at ninakaw ni Gloria sa tulong ng Corona n yan. Yung mga kaso ni Gloria palagi pabor sknya kpag umabot sa Supreme Court yung kaso. Ayaw nya magresign ha.
And what makes you think justice will be served once Corona’s being impeached? Are you the judge? All you do are nothing but blame games and praising your precious president.
Si Corona nalang ang natitirang matino sa gobyerno. Pagnawala pa yan, siguradong goodbye pilipins! Salamat sa kabobohan ng AbNoy supporters, masbibilis pa ang pagbagsak ng pilipinas! Lalo nang dadami ang gustong umalis ng pilipinas. Pati ako, nawala na interes kong mag-negosyo sa pinas—sa ibang bansa ko nalang dadalhin negosyo ko—bahala na kayo dyan!…hahaha!
AbNoy had it the wrong way—it should be “Kung walang mahirap, walang corrupt!“—no matter how you try to fight crime, kung nagugutom mga tao because of your failure to deal with the economy, siguradong gagawa ng paraan yan kahit na crime.
“Si Corona nalang ang natitirang matino sa gobyerno.” LOL! That is admission of guilt. GMA is still with the government – she’s a congresswoman for goodness sake. She’s still not convicted , right? And com’on be a sports. Stop the name calling.
Glad you asked, but well no, since GMA and others not bowing to AbNoy’s wishes are practically impaired from exercising any real influence over the outcome of gov’t. Outwardly, they are made to appear to have a say in how things should be run—but only AbNoy’s decision would be enforced regardless of whether his admin’s actions are actually lawful or not—all who are against him are reduced to mere props or ornaments—they are actually powerless.
@Felipe
Really? Then why Horn and Topacio who has been endangered to be a eunuch ( because he promised to cut his… ) insisted on a PC,a cellphone or a telephone and basically an office inside the hospital? Tsk..tsk.. fanaticism blinds.. just like Nora Aunor’s followers..
@HaraKiri
They will make the best of what little else is left for them, but we all know this is no effective way to govern. Unless proven sympathetic towards Aquino’s agenda, your options are narrow and your hands are basically tied—if your notion of serving the common good goes only as high as what can be comprehended by a typical Aquino cult follower, then I would understand why your notion of governing would be equally narrow.
We both know you are, but why state the obvious? 😉
@Felipe,
How can I be fanatic when I have been outside the country for 12 years? I have never voted during that period. I’m just following the news broadcast and prints by a third party news agency ( ie AFP etc.) I don’t want to read the news hosted by Philippine websites anymore they are too confusing. Some are obviously for GMA (like this site) and the others for PNoy. At the end of the day, I can only look at how bad international community looks at the past and current regime. And here, GMA is next to Marcos in terms of corruption/cheating. How can I disprove it to them when teh international news agency themeselves have the free access to evidences? I am not a PNoy avid supporter, but If I don’t support Gloria, who else will I rely to for a better Philippines? Even our OWWA fund was misused by GMA. What do you expect from me? I will jump in jubilitation when the offender gets punished. Who is that person?… dunno!
@ HaraKiri
You don’t need to support President Noy or GMA, for that matter. Just support objective critical thinking. Start with asking:
1. If GMA is so corrupt, what are the cases filed against her?
2. If cases were not filed or cases have no merit in court: are those corruption speculation true or are those mere gossip? Or is the current DOJ just not competent enough to make a solid prosecution?
3. Convicting GMA will not improve the lives of the Filipino people, is the President performing the necessary actions to improve the country? If not, then why is he so transfixed on public insinuations against GMA?
By the way, I live in the Philippines so I’m forced to support President Aquino.
I pay his administration with my livelihood in the form of taxes.
Me, I have another question, in what form does the support I give to his Excellency affect the improvement of my standard of living?
Ksalanan nga yan ni Gloria at unti unti inaayos na ni Tito Noy
There you go again with the blame game vincensus ignoramus. EPIC FAIL!
At hnd matino si Corona, lahat ng kaso ni Gloria magnanakaw pinaboran nya. Wlang delikadesa. Ayaw nya magresign? Sige mkkita nya ang gagawin sknya ni Tito Noy
Oh, what happened? Do you feel lost? Why not try a bit of soul-searching? Don’t think you’ll find anything, though. Every time something goes wrong, you turn around and place the blame on someone else. It’s not our fault.
It’s not your fault. In denial, you simply resort to looking for another more convenient “truth” in order to make yourself feel better. Leaving behind in an instant the so-called “truth” you once embraced. Should someone
like that be able to decide what is “truth”? Should someone like you even have the right to decide? You’ve done nothing but abuse your freedom. You don’t deserve to be free! We’re not the ones smothering our country. You are and the rest of the yellow nazi zombies.
(borrowed from the words of GW in MGS2 so credit goes to the game’s creator)
You’re still stupid as usual idiot.
Hindi mo parin makita ang ginagawang masama ng tito noy mo sa bansa natin.
Pagka naging dictator si tito noy mo at magkanda loko loko ang bansa lalo, wag mo kaming sisisihin.
talaga lang huh… mag papa misa talaga ako kapag totoo yan… I think napa selfish nang corona na yan….
@nutzi Vincenzo
Said like a typical, rabid puppy dog Vincenzo! The pattern of recorded events confirms Senator Joker Arroyo’s claims of a creeping totalitarianism. It is now a running totalitarianism. Your boss is a dictator and considers Chief Justice corona as his personal block to his matuwid na daan patungo sa diktadura!
Is Vincenzo under medication? Must be skipping his meds. LOL
At least all the talk about impeachment is over. Hopefully, the country moves on after this one — regardless of the outcome.
It will move on but where?
With noone else to blame for a tanking economy – yet – maybe this serial thinking trainee will start to focus on putting pork belly on childrens tables rather than pork barrel in congressmens bank accounts.
And nothing should bring that home more than the news today that FDI has fallen 33% jan-sep 2011 to 671$ million.
We have now fallen behind cambodia for the first time ever and are close to being in the company of failed african states.
Unbelievable.
True! So true!
But then again we deserve this stupid president.
Imagine, when he said “70% of my job will be done by Mar” three weeks before the election—no one cringed!
If you have a gun-loving, gun-collecting single, insecure but conceited bachelor running as prez, do you expect him to be as efficient and effective if he wins?
course not!
Instead, the man finally gets to live his greatest fantasy: play rockstar, king and superhero. That is why he is always in a ballistic mood! He is dying to play Rambo against GMA, Corona et al.
HE sees Corona as an impediment to his reforms?
Corona’s SC finally decided on hacienda luisita case! That’s justice to 6000 farmers! That is social reform!
And what has he done besides playing computer with Josh?
This country will definitely go down the drain in the next 2 years!
You are right Nona, truly unbelievable!
P-noy lived under his fathers shadow and behind his mothers skirt all his adolescent and adult life.
Unable to cope at times, compete, contribute or achieve to family standards he lived a somewhat lazy, and lonely life with no great passions or advocacies or even real relationships.(his achilles heel)
Socially awkward and with little worldly experience life was simple, comfortable, and controllable. A compromise of convenience.
His mothers death changed 2 things. He suddenly had freedom to grow up, but he became a reluctant president taking freedom and privacy away.
I think he was shell-shocked the first 12 months but now he is enjoying the adulation and attention. Something he never got – sis kris was always first in line for that.
And the change is bringing forth a power lust. Maybe he will not want just 1 term!
The man-boy is indulging his whims and starting to believe his own press and will become a dangerous liability.
Apart from not being the sharpest tool in the box, he is ultimately all about himself and at 50 that is hardwired into his psyche now.
Control has always been his coping mechanism so he is not one to delegate things of interest, but will ignore what doesnt interest him.
More scope for chaos and confusion.
Am sure binay and others have his measure.
To manipulate the man you just need to know the buttons to press.
my student view.
I would like a psychologist to pen a profile.
@Nona,
“We have now fallen behind cambodia for the first time ever ”
Where did you get this? Can you post the link?
BSP announced the philippine figures today – ? general press and i checked the cambodia figure from internet -CIA or UN site
google fdi cambodia for other sources
Thanks. will check.
Time Traveler here. I’m from 1969.
What?! Are you telling me, the Philippines has fallen behind Stink-a-pooh?! In my time that sh1thole of an island is nothing to be desired. We figure the mixed races infesting that place would eventually divide it into pirate ghettos constantly at odds with each other, that is, if the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia won’t finally decide to bomb it back to the sea.
Noynoy is shooting himself in the foot with this impeachment circus. If he kills all the villains in his telenovela administration, he will be left with no plot, and his no-plans-for-the-future government will be seen for what it is.
Nothing but pessimism. Let’s see when the house finally gets cleaned. 9 years of heist/corruption have shaken the foundations of good governance. One cannot expect that re-strengthening of the already damaged foundation can happen in 1 year. Don’t worry guys, GMA will be included in the 2012 edition of Guinness Book of World Records…probably for a record of corruption next to Marcos then maybe Corona too (?)
With so many Aquino cult followers feeling “more assured” than purported first-hand witnesses themselves, why won’t you guys volunteer to testify against her instead, rather than settle for witnesses (or just a witness) with questionable intent and credibility?
The Benigz is merely looking into the future and is declaring that if ever the impeachment bid as well as the overall “anti-corruption” campaign succeeds, he sees in his crystal ball that what follows is… nothing, or shall I say, no improvement in the overall Philippine condition.
You say that what happens next after the housecleaning is the “re-strengthening of the already damaged foundation.” Lack of multitasking aside, (I mean, couldn’t the Peenoy administration aim for anything else at the same time? Look, I’m being optimistic here about his capabilities.) I wonder what activities would be done to re-strengthen the foundation?
@ HaraKiri
“9 years of heist/corruption have shaken the foundations of good governance.”
Are u sure it’s just 9 years? And previous to that there was no corruption or less corruption? Oh no. We’re back to the blame game.
We can be inside any World Record for all I care, but would please the current administration show something solid in improving our economy?
We’re now behind Cambodia?! OMG. Less FDIs means less opportunity for employment for our countrymen. And you’re primary concern is strengthening the legislative?
What effect does the Chief Justice or the SC have in passing the RH bill or the FOI bill or any bill that will drive the improvement of our economy? NONE. Yet the legislative could not pass these bills to improve the lives of our people.
You know what, even if they impeach the whole SC, we will still end up with a useless, pork-salivating legislative. If you can illustrate how it wouldn’t be with the impeachment of any of these justices, please enlighten me.
@bulutongboy
Hahaha…so true!
Ultimately, GMA is not the cause but just one of the effects of corruption.
When Ysidra Cojuangco took, as her own, wealth meant to fund our early freedom-fighters, hers was an act of corruption with far more tragic consequences in terms of historical repercussions to our society than we’ve realized. This is a wrong begging to be corrected. Instead of holding the Aquino-Cojuangcos into account, the masang Filipino were led into barking at the wrong trees.
Also, are you saying that we can consider the house to be clean enough if Arroyo would be world-recognized for the proven record amount she has stolen? I guess Guinness Book of World Records would be the certifying authority, although I wonder how they would go about the certification process.
Anyway, that’s just quibbling with the details, still, while I would say that it’s a rather shallow criterion for declaring the house to be clean enough (it’s just like you got rid of one big rat although there are still other rats, roaches, mosquitoes and flies), I’d say go for it.
The target year is 2012? Better hurry. It took 17 months after Arroyo stepped down before she got arrested. Remember that Estrada only took 3 months to get arrested. Estrada’s trial lasted for six years and went out of rest house prison a month after a plunder conviction. Can Aquino do better at prosecuting Arroyo than Arroyo did at prosecuting Estrada?
As I wrote last week the inevitable has happened. Anyone who stands in the way of PNoy will be impeached or false charges will be brought against them.
Once Corona is removed from the SC I assure you there will be others who will be blamed for the sorry state of this country and they too will be crushed by PNoy.
When people start to wake up and protest the army will be called in to restore the peace (some would call it Martial Law)
By the next elections PNoy will be completely in control of the country including the SC.
I agree with you. The truth will eventually come out and people will realize that they’ve been played by this administration all along. Of course, Mr AbNoy and his juggernaut company would not allow dissenters—He will use force as well as dirty tactics (as usual) if he feels he needs to. I can see a bloody future ahead of us.
@Mark
On your dreams. How naive of you to really think that Pinoys are that stupid to allow such thing. You, would you allow it?
You are the naive one if you believe it wont happen. PNoy is not capable to do anything as president, therefore he is only left with one choice to crush everyone who opposes him.
Its going to take years for the stupid people in this country to wake up and realize what is really going on and by then it might be too late.
Mark my words this is going to turn real ugly.
Sorry, I am not one of those stupid you are talking about. Be the one if you want. We’re just both bloggers, but don’t drag others to your level. Don’t speak generally because not all people are having the same mind set like you.
Why do you take things personally? If you read my message properly you would see that I did not call you stupid, I called you naive.
I was referring to the 70% of our nation who believe that PNoy is gods gift to mankind.
Mark,
How do you propose to eat your words when that doesn’t happen?
@thegreatest
He will probably eat the same shit that comes out of his mind.
The fact that it has already come to this point already proves how stupid Filipinos REALLY are.
I think the mere fact that Noynoy became president was more than enough.
@benigno
“…how stupid Filipinos REALLY are”
Does that include you & me? I beg to defer if that is a stupid generalization.
@ HaraKiri
If Filipinos(the majority thereof) are such a wise and understanding people, why then is the Philippines a basketcase?
Try deferring to that.
Who’s stupid and who’s not can be easily determined, just try proving that Filipinos are not stupid.
Noynoy is cutting off a whole leg of our democratic system and if he succeeds, we as a nation who for so long had difficulty in scaling the road ahead towards our hopes and dreams, will crawl to see if there really is a straight path ahead leading to it. You are correct in saying that we are slowly becoming a divided nation. The divide is getting wider by the day.
What i really don’t understand, is why Pnoy is so obsessed with him when in fact the decisions of the judiciary are still based on majority vote. If the impeachment proceedings were to be made just to get back on the justices for ruling for the unconstitutionality of Pnoy’s major platforms, I would say that it’s a waste of time and resources of the senate.
It is ironic…but, it seems Noynoy Aquino will be another Khadafy…Arab Spring is already spreading thruout the world. It is even in Putin’s Russia…Khadafy had to rely on his obsolete fighting forces. But, even with the help of his mercenaries; he was overthrown…
A President fighting an undeclared war on three fronts will never survive in his regime…Hitler fought on two fronts; and he lost…
OK, so now we’ve gone from a dictatorship under Marcos that had at least done some improvements in the country and fought an oligarchy to a dictatorship under BS Aquino III who not only restored the old oligarchy but also worsened the country.
I’ve neither seen nor heard any other country so keen at destroying itself as the Philippines.
*to the country
Next.
‘Impeachment’ of any independent minded journalist or anyone who does not subscribe to the standards of boot licking exemplified by william esposo and his co-propagandists on the appropriately coloured daily star pr bulletin
Heil Der Fuhrer BadNoy! Truly the greatest nutzie dictator of the nutzie state! Witness the very fast-tracked impeachment of the pro-democracy Chief Justice Corona! Witness the equally quick denial of der malascanang reich palace that Der Fuhrer had nothing to do with it! A scheming lie despite the paper trail of the pro-democracy opposition media! Witness the reich divide and conquer strategy of Der great Fuhrer BadNoy leading towards his total dictatorship!
The blitzkrieg is not yet over! Witness the next targets of Der Fuhrer BadNoy as he tries to muzzle or pay off the free press and the media! He is now seen as a truly great nutzi! Truly great nutzi mind! Truly great nutzi dictator! He tramples or buys all opposition against his political circus agenda! For he is truly the greatest nutzi ringmaster!
Witness the lawmakers of the reichstag muster their numbers! So clean and pristine they appear in media! There is no corruption in the reichstag! It is a lie that tongressmen exist to serve the Fuhrer! Serve to propagate his superior rule uber and above the puny constitution and democracy! There is no more rule of law! There is the only Der Fuhrer! His next great act may be to declare openly martial rule to rid the improved society of opposition! But this is another story!
Sieg Heil Der nutzi Fuhrer! The greatest genetically improved nutzi of the nutzi race!
Senator Joker Arroyo correctly observed the rise of creeping totalitarianism. It is now a running totalitarianism. The death of democracy may finally happen because of BadNoy’s bad examples to his improved society in his divide and rule strategy. The darkness is slowly creeping over the land as many on the side of truth, correct reasoning and logic pray for the coming of the light.
I’m afraid the Abnoy will have his way. Many will benefit from his idiocy, so why not give him his lollipop whenever he goes on one of his tantrums?
by house you mean the house of cojuangco-aquino.
the pork barrel scam by aquinos brother-in-law
or the houses cabinet secretaries have been buying/building
no foi, no chance of finding out, until the next change and a repeat of the circus.
meanwhile real people struggle for food or die through inability to get fairly priced medicines – or pay over the odds for the 30% of drugs which are counterfeit and likely to kill rather than cure.
i suspect you do not see the reality around you – unless that is makati.
ignorance is bliss
To Aquino:
Now that you got what you wanted after stomping your feet and screaming at everybody you think is in anyway related to Arroyo, will you please begin working to free us from this miserable state as a nation? Like you promised your rabid believers?
Or will you just stand there, mouth open, retina moving wildly,looking lost and asking “Oh. I need to work? Did I promise that?”
We are in for a miserable 5 years more. Good Lord!
lol i don’t care if the guy is innocent or guilty as long as how they arrive with the conclusion is the rule of law. Pero paano na ito? Pati prosecutor at presidente corrupt at bobo! Si tupas nga 50M mansion na 25k lang ang sahod! Yung abNoy naman obvious na meron hidden agenda to protect his precious Hacienda. We now have a case of “who will throw the first stone?” apparently pnoy and the rest of his minions are throwing a lot of pebbles when they have no idea they have a boulder rolling towards them from a nearby hill! 3 weeks of trial and law deans like Dean Tony of ateneo are no longer convinced of his guilt as they thought before kayo pa kaya mga layman lang kayo hindi nyo alam ang law. magaral muna kayo para hindi kayo maging bobo katulad nang presidente nyo na ABNOY. wag padala sa yellow zombie movement!