It gets interesting for us who chronicle Pinoy dysfunction now that the Philippines’ Commission on Elections (COMELEC) have approved the filing of electoral fraud charges against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA).
After many years of hearsay reporting from the Philippine Media and haka haka “debate” among the chattering classes of the self-described Philippine “civil society”, there are charges on the table that aim to bring GMA to account for her alleged cheating in the 2004 presidential elections which saw her prevailing over the late actor Fernando Poe Jr.
| SUPPORT INDEPENDENT SOCIAL COMMENTARY! Subscribe to our Substack community GRP Insider to receive by email our in-depth free weekly newsletter. Opt into a paid subscription and you'll get premium insider briefs and insights from us. Subscribe to our Substack newsletter, GRP Insider! Learn more |
As far as I recall, this is the second legal move by Filipinos to bring Arroyo to account for her alleged “crimes” related to electoral fraud. Back in 2005, a quaint bid to impeach her for those same “crimes” failed epically prompting some familiar names allied with a certain canary-coloured school of thought to incite extra-constitutional means to get what they want…
“Saan tayo pupunta pagkatapos pag wala na yung impeachment complaint?” (“Where do we go if the impeachment complaint is voted down?”) asked former education secretary and Liberal Party leader Florencio “Butch” Abad. This was echoed in the PCIJ Blog article “A Black-and-White Day” further quoting Abad: “What path do people take once the impeachment option is slammed shut in their faces?”
…while the obvious answer to the questions they bawl out in their temper tantrums and tililing rampages escapes their vacuous minds…
Excuse us, but who exactly slammed the impeachment option in our faces? How quickly we forget that the very slammers we love to hate were voted into office by the slammees themselves.
So in considering our historical track record of latching on to the wrong arguments and prioritising the irrelevant details, here is an important question to ask ourselves: What are going to be the moronic slogans, questions and catchphases of the mainstream that will be marking this next act of the circus?
Well, I can only offer a handful of meta-questions that might frame and cut those future Yellowisms down to size:
Firstly, if a Congress of legislators duly-elected by popular vote (and therefore, in principle, representative of the “people’s will”) utterly failed, perhaps even neglected, to effect sanctions against what everyone insists is an “obviously guilty” Arroyo in 2005, what makes us think we will be successful today, specially considering how current Justice Secretary Leila De Lima had already set a precedent of defying court orders?
Second, Arroyo (or any president for that matter) was sworn in by a Supreme Court justice. Doesn’t an investigation into the legitimacy of an official who, in principle, enjoyed the endorsment of an officer of the highest court in the land entail first having to void said endorsement?
Third, who in the COMELEC should be held accountable for delaying the filing of charges for an alleged crime that today is being made out to be so “obviously” evident? Isn’t there an aspect of neglect on the part of the COMELEC for allowing all these years of inaction to pass before this seminal day when the obvious action is now being undertaken?
Pinoy nga naman talaga.
Even when in the process of doing the “right” thing, sablay pa rin.
When you pile one dysfunction over another over many years transcending many presidents, doing the “right” thing today simply comes across as a lowbrow comedy of errors.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
Hello? Garci?
“The House of Representatives back in 2005 already wasted a lot of their time “investigating†the alleged cheating scandal involving Arroyo and her cohort former Comelec commissioner Virgilio “Hello Garci†Garcillano but it resulted in nothing more than a failed impeachment procedure and a disorganized “People Power†led by the late former President Cory Aquino.”
Please read: Election fraud did not just happen in 2004, it happened in other elections too!
2005 is gloria pa din ang may hawak ng panguluhan ng bansa at ang kanyang mga kalyado sa kongreso at kamara ay lamang sa bilang laban sa oposisyon. ang mga nakatalagan namumuno sa iba’t ibang sangay ng pamahalaan ay siya ang nagluklok…. ang mga kasong nais o isinasampa sa kanya ay hinaharang ng kanyang mga kapartido at mga kawani. lumitaw ang masamang epekto ang isang kaugalian ng pilipino noong mga panahaong iyon… ang pag tanaw ng “utang ng loob”, na pinagkatanto ni gloria sa kanyang mga alipores.
Kalokohan ang mga people power dito. No wonder it wasn’t even mentioned in Arab Spring news.
We should have our own Bonifacio Spring for true Filipino revolutionary change.
pity the govt/judiciary cant move as fast when it comes to the farmers – 8 years now
Now all was put in the hands of a Judge named Jesus B. Mupas… so the new plan can be execute. Who is this Judge?
Well, well, well… See by yourself!!!
http://www.lawphil.net/judjuris/juri2008/jun2008/am_rtj-07-2067_2008.html
Was he corrupted before???? Hummmm… if I was a journalist, I would go to find the complainant and ear what is the story, because the Judge was slapped by the Supreme Court!
Is this a revenge from the Judge for his history with the Supreme Court?
Republic of the Philippines
SUPREME COURT
Manila
THIRD DIVISION
A.M. No. RTJ-07-2067 June 18, 2008
NILO JAY MINA, complainant,
vs.
JUDGE JESUS B. MUPAS, Regional Trial Court, Branch 112, Pasay City, respondent.
Nilo Jay Mina (complainant) charges Judge Jesus B. Mupas (respondent), Presiding Judge of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 112, Pasay City of dereliction of duties, grave misconduct, manifest partiality, violation of the Constitution and of the Anti-graft and Corrupt Practices Act.1
RESOLUTION
WHEREFORE, the Court finds Judge Jesus B. Mupas, of the Regional Trial Court, Branch 112, Pasay City, guilty of undue delay in rendering an order for which he is FINED in the amount of P10,000.00 with STERN WARNING that a repetition of the same or similar act in the future shall be dealt with more severely.
SO ORDERED.
MA. ALICIA AUSTRIA-MARTINEZ
Associate Justice
WE CONCUR:
CONSUELO YNARES-SANTIAGO
Associate Justice
Chairperson
MA. ALICIA AUSTRIA-MARTINEZ
Associate Justice
RUBEN T. REYES
Associate Justice
*ARTURO D. BRION
Associate Justice
Judge Mupas was involved in the NAIA-3 settlement of the NAIA-3 issue between GMA administration with PIATCO.
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/archive/index.php/t-96175-p-16.html
“Although he “does not have the power to render advisory opinions†on the Supreme Court ruling on the matter, Mupas reminded the government that the decision “is, in itself, the [government] and this court’s guide in so far as any writ of possession in this case is concerned.â€
Mupas cited Republic Act 8974, or the law on the acquisition of right of way and sites for national infrastructure projects, which states that the government cannot own a property without full payment.
“Clearly, without full payment of just compensation, there can be no transfer of title of this from landowner [Piatco] to the expropriator [government],†the ruling said.”
Are there bad feelings since then? Lets not forget PIATCO corrupted officials, was asking for 550M US$ for the T-3 when the valuation was only around 350M US$.
They needed something fast. Yun na yun.
I’m tired of these YellowTard tactics of diverting the true issues of our times. Like: Noynoy Aquino’s incompetence; the using the AFP soldiers, to murder Hacienda Luisita demonstrators – because, they were complaining , they were being paid : U.S.- 25 cents a day…the aquisition of the Hacienda Luisita, depriving most of the People of Tarlac to own a land to till, to feed themselves and their families; the SCAMMING of the Philippine government by the Aquinos and the Cojuangcos; etc…
It is clear now that the fundamental changes necessary to move the country forward will not happen
The opinions of yellow cult members are irrelevant.
The verdict which matters is in such figures as FDI which has fallen through the floor, world bank pronouncements etc.
Honorary degrees and a few well chosen diplomatic words from the US count for zilch in terms of jobs, alleviating poverty etc.
It would be pointless to restate what needs to be done. Many people here and elsewhere have eloquently and adequately done that.
All that i would say is that without the political will it is simply a matter of maintaining the status quo for the elite and apathy/survival for the majority.
The country needs a new breed with a new direction.
My sadness is that i do not see the fire and passion in the youth so we get old men and women perpetuating their sins and spouting lies and hypocricy.
A new party is needed which has no ties with the past.
Technology offsets the power of money and come 2016 and beyond will be the critical factor in influencing and determining the future.
Whoever created this country had a very sick sense of humor this country is so fucked up. The irony is that people can see that we are at the edge of a cliff looking down into the looming abyss but we are all happy because we can see down there a massive TV screen showing some more stupid TV shows.
Every few years we get a new democratically elected dictator coming from a different mafioso family. The new dictator usually goes after the previous democratically elected dictator who happens to belong to the a rival mafioso family.
The remaining 95% of the country who are known as the poor stand by and watch in glee when those once powerful are humiliated and dragged through the gutters and then hanged in the town square. For if they are going to suffer from starvation, lack of education and no hope, at;east they will do so whilst watching a nice Teleseries of Crime, Drama and mist likely some sad comedy
Sorry some typos 🙂
Every few years we get a new democratically elected dictator coming from a different mafioso family. The new dictator usually goes after the previous democratically elected dictator who happens to belong to a rival mafioso family.
The remaining 95% of the country who are known as the poor stand by and watch in glee when those once powerful are humiliated and dragged through the gutters and then hanged in the town square. For if they are going to suffer from starvation, lack of education and no hope, at least they will do so whilst watching a nice Teleseries of Crime, Drama and most likely some sad comedy
well said.
politics itself becomes a telenovela full of has been actors and drama queens more interested in gossip and social life than real work and no debate on issues.
whenever i meet them i am appalled at their lack of knowledge, intellect or interest, unless it involves a backhander.
One poster have commented:
‘ang mahal ng mga bilihin sa ” DAANG MATUWID”. Sana mas Mag tataasan pa ang presyo para yung mga ugok na walang silbi sa lipunan na bumoto sa kanya manigas sa gutom..
Kagaya ng nasakyan kong taxi kagabi.. panay reklamo sya sa nagtaasang ng bilihin at gasolina. wala na daw sya maiuwi sa pamilya nya tapus si noynoy daw habol2x lang ginagawa kay gloria. tapus pag baba ko sa taxi nya, isang malaking “yellow ribbon” na sticker nakadikit sa windshield nya. Dba parang gago lang…’
Not really “gago” Daido. After all, people have the right to complain or return about faulty goods and services.