Of all people. Senator Miriam Santiago was the last person in the world I would’ve expected to request that Philippine President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino III be “given leeway in making his decisions.”
“I will be very careful in criticizing a president because I have close, first hand observation of how difficult it is to make a decision when you are faced with certain set of facts which are not capable of control. They are all beyond your control,” Santiago said.
This is the same lady who launched fiery speeches back in 2012 against what she saw as the inept and borderline criminal conduct of the prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of former Supereme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. The prosecution panel then was led by Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr and Oriental Mindoro Rep. Reynaldo Umali, both of whom are known lackeys of President BS Aquino.
Umali, if we are to recall, was party to a conspiracy to present illegally-obtained evidence against Corona during his impeachment trial in 2012. Five dollar accounts along with the five peso accounts allegedly maintained by Corona in the Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) were within the scope of a controversial subpoena issued by the Senate impeachment court. The subpoena was controversial because, under Philippine law, dollar accounts are confidential and can be accessed only via a court order.
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But the subpoena of the PSBank accounts traced its roots to an “anonymous source” described by Umali as a “small lady” who handed to him an envelope allegedly containing Corona’s bank documents. The revelation made by former lead prosecutor Niel Tupas Jr the previous day (the 7th Feb) highlighted yet another instance of the prosecution team pre-empting any authorisation from the Senate impeachment court to mount such actions.
During questioning, PSBank president Pascua Garcia III revealed details of Corona’s five peso accounts with PSBank but declined to present (and presumably refrained from bringing with him) documents associated with five dollar accounts allegedly kept by Corona with the bank. Garcia’s consistent position on that matter was widely-lauded by the public at the time.
Considering the appalling nature of these hideous affronts to court procedure and the integrity of the Senate Impeachment Court that Santiago was a prominent member of, it is surprising that Santiago would now defend the man who is likely to have handpicked characters like Tupas and Umali.
Santiago also said that what “characterizes” President BS Aquino is “his independence of mind.” Perhaps. Indeed, not too long ago, almost as soon as he assumed office in July of 2010 following his “landslide” election, BS Aquino, made a bold assertion directed to the public: “Kayo ang boss ko” (“You all are my boss”). Drawing upon the tired notion that it is “the people” who provide him the democratic mandate to rule, Noynoy would like us to believe that it is the Filipino people who is his real “boss”.
That pompous campaign pronouncement has since become a standing joke. It is widely-believed that BS Aquino’s real boss is not “the Filipino people” as he claims but no other than Uncle Peping. From the onset, BS Aquino may, as such, have rendered himself virtually unfit to be President having severely handicapped his ability to govern the Republic objectively. It is likely that Hacienda Luisita alone is a big enough elephantine agenda that had taken up what meagre cognitive bandwidth BS Aquino’s mind is capable of mustering for his presidential tasks.
In my previous article, Is saving Hacienda Luisita from Agrarian Reform Noynoy Aquino’s real SINGULAR mission as President?, I added the tongue-in-cheek caption “Will Noynoy get a spanking from his uncle if he fails to save the family jewels?” underneath a photo of presidential uncle Jose “Peping” Sumulong Cojuangco, Jr.
Too bad. Santiago is currently being hailed by social media “experts” as “the country’s undisputed social media-powered political superstar.” Premature posturing as usual and a title that we should perhaps be taking with a grain of salt. After all, since when has the supposedly non-ampaw social media community made a dent on the voting sensibilities of our Ampaw Republic?
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
Remember these gems from the ‘honorable’ senator?
‘I will jump headfirst from a helicopter in Luneta if Estrada gets removed from power.’ — Miriam Defensor Santiago, on the impending ouster against Joseph Estrada in 2001.
‘I lied!’ (followed by maniacal laughter) — Miriam Defensor Santiago, after Joseph Estrada was removed from the presidency in 2001. Santiago recanted her promise of jumping headfirst from a helicopter in the event that Estrada is ousted.
Hay, salamat! I’m not the only one who remembers these past events…
Hope in Pinoys somewhat restored….
correction: Miriam said, if Erap gets arrested tyaka daw siya tatalon sa airplane. She said this during the campaign period (2001 senatorial elections), and Gloria Arroyo that time, is already in power. 🙂
Are we really splitting hairs over this? The emphasis should be Sen. Santiago’s U-turn on the matter of her very public declaration of support for Erap Estrada. And her constantly shifting political allegiances. It demonstrates a lack of conviction and principle.
From where ever the wind blows. I’m saying this since a long time. Just because someone is outspoken and likes to grandstand does not mean that the person is sincere. Let’s not forget, she is a politician after all.
Miriam santiago is undoubtedly bright, knowledgeable, and hard working, with a good team of people, but her pomposity and need for attention and approval has become her achilles heel, as she lectures, rather than communicates, concentrates on university students rather than a wider,( more difficult), audience, and raises issues but rarely follow through to completion – except for her personal vendetta against enrile, or where it provides for personal visibility.
She also tends to jump on obvious bandwagons rather than being the originator/instigator.
Like many in the legal profession ( a world governed by precedents and the judgements of others) miriam santiago, by any stretch of the imagination is not an original thinker, and no doubt more suited as a typical judge than a conviction politician, and talking to admiring teenagers, rather than seasoned professionals.
And miriam santiago is not an Oxford alumna as she likes to say! (A 4 week summer school does not count, – that puts her on a par with my secretary – but it does show that she needs that level of approval – instead she risks being a 3rd world caricature, especially as far as real oxford alumni are concerned!)
In essence her report card reads “could, and should, have done better”
Is MDS now being infected with the mediocrity of da pinoy? What a waste of intellect she had.
there’s a little bright side to this. Its evidence that she’s not an anti pnoy zombie, that she can still think. That she is still able to applaud pnoy if he does something right
its a pathetic excuse but its all i could think of.
I don’t trust any Filipino politician. They double talk us. They change loyalties, when it fits them. And, all of them are part of the corrupt system.
Aquino has a low IQ/EQ. He is a spolied brat; son of a wealthy Family. He never accomplished anything worthwhile in his life.
Aquino’s real boss are the Oligarchs and the NPA Mafia, together with Peping Cojuangco; who are pulling the Strings, behind him. These are the Man in the shadows…
The Corona impeachment, will be judged in Philippine History, as the WORST attack on the Philippine judiciary system. The Legislative Branch, helped a President, to become a “Virtual Dictator” of the country…
It is very sad that we allowed this to happen, under our noses.
The article mostly focuses on Noynoy and not on Miriam. What the article really wants to say is: “I can’t believe Miriam said that.” And then goes on disparaging Aquino. Seems like anyone who even slightly commiserates with Noynoy earns your ire, or, you just hate the lady senator because your other posts singles her out, specifically. Why so? She’s done more good than harm. Those people you should be crucifying are jinggoy et. al. Do I smell a paid hack here?
Miriam Santiago is a typical FLIP POLITICIAN in that she FLIPS here allegiance at the tip of hat, tip of a peso and so forth. While aligning herself with dismally long winded rhetoric intended to be beyond the grasp of the ‘mass’ who idolize her as being incredibly intelligent.
The truth about this woman she is neither an intellect to be dealt with in an any real academic sense for she is just a cantankerous old fart-bag that has somehow evaded the Men in the ‘WHITE-COATS” and ‘FISHING NETS’ who certainly have good reason to be on her trail after the psychotic outbursts at the mockery of a trial that Corona laughed all the way through and nothing happened to the guy when he should have been imprisoned for selling the PAL employees down the river for a mere $100,000.00.
Perhaps the best thing that has happened to Madame Santiago is that due to her psychotic tendencies her appointment to the I.C.C. has been put on an indefinite hold and the good people in Brussels can breathe a sigh of relief for at least having a chance to see this truly psychotic bitch blow her stack in full view of the international media and then had the good sense to inform Miriam that her services would be best suited for a circus, such as the one she is currently part of. Every good Circus needs a tempestuous ‘Carnival Barker’ and the Philippine circus has Ms. Santiago…and ,uh…GOOD LUCK WITH THAT!!! LOL!!!
Am I wrong to think, that Sen. Santiago merely has her respect for the highest position of the nation, as she also respects the other higher institutions of this country? Like, you can hate the church, and still believe/have faith in a Higher Power.
Still, this comment cannot improve the living conditions of the masses of Filipinos.
Oh boy, I would love to hear Ilda’s opinion on this.
With very few good Senators, I must admit Miriam is still not that very bad apple and I still think you need to play and sacrifice along in order to survive our Chaotic and Dirty Politics.