On one hand, I’d say the clock is ticking for Malacañang. Presumably with every hour — and day — it dithers in its decision on what to do about rogue Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia who remains ‘holed up for a cause’ at the Cebu Capitol after being slapped with a suspension order on the 19th December by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), the government of President Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino loses valuable political capital. This is under the assumption that Garcia’s ironic call for “people power” remains the potent acid that eats into a perceived dictator’s moral ascendancy.
It seems, however, that in this instance, Malacañang holds all the aces.
By all accounts, “people power” — that once famous Pinoy “invention” — has become a less sour acid with overuse. Whether it be to lynch “dictators” or defend self-proclaimed “heroes”, the use of street parliamentarianism in Philippine politics has gone flaccid. As far back as 2005 in the aftermath of a failed bid to impeach former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and an even more epic fail to organise “people power” protests to carry on the effort to oust her outside of institutionalised procedure, columnist Amando Doronila had already written an obituary to this tired relic of Yellowist mentality:
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[…] people power has been drained of its mystique as a magic formula to oust much-demonized leaders. The indiscriminate use of people power to overthrow unwanted leaders has drained its potency as a weapon for effecting political change. Its potency has been depleted by frequent use. The sputtering of protests after the House vote should be a rude reality check to Cory Aquino. She has been deserted by people power. And nothing could be more pathetic.
What Garcia should be doing as an officer of the State is serve as a model to her constituents in embodying a deep respect for all that “hard-won” democracy everybody keeps waxing poetic about. Instead she is roping the larger society of Cebu into the small petty world of her own personal problems. For true leaders it should be the other way around — true leaders recognise that it is all about stuff that is bigger; bigger than themselves specifically.
Garcia’s foremost job as governor is to serve as one of the means by which the people of Cebu could build productive, meaningful, and fulfilling lives. Note the emphasis on the word one. Garcia is not the single biggest feature in the lives of Cebu folk. She is but a small cog. Governors — and even Presidents — come and go. But life for the ordinary schmoe remains the same and Philippine history has long proven that there is very little (if any) strong causal relationship that exists between the identity and/or quality of Philippine governors and presidents and the trajectory of ordinary Filipino lives.
Garcia should be sparing the people of Cebu any disruption from their everyday business of working towards those goals. Being governor of Cebu is not all about you, Governor Garcia. The way you are dealing with your personal issues with your overlords in the Philippine capital city is hindering rather than promoting the bigger society that you swore to serve.
As to the measures in place to execute the suspension order, President BS Aquino of all people should know what the obvious next steps are. Any firearms enthusiast knows that you don’t point a gun at another human being unless you plan to shoot her. And you don’t shoot unless your aim is to kill.
What’s the point then in deploying an armed force around a target if there is no will to use it against said target?
“To my knowledge, there has been no plan … to bodily carry her out. As we have repeatedly stated, we encourage Gov. Gwen Garcia to observe the rule of law,†presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a text message.
“To my knowledge, we continue to exercise Job’s virtue,†Lacierda said, referring to the biblical character Job known for patience.
Spoken like a true pussy.
From the sporadic reports coming in from the streets of Cebu, it is quite evident that no ocho-ocho street revolution is materialising there. Noynoy has a clean shot and he should take it, specially considering that Garcia’s countersuit versus Malacañang’s suspension order apparently does not hold water. As Inquirer.net columnist Neal Cruz observes…
Garcia defied the order, barricading herself in the Cebu capitol, and filed her petition in the Court of Appeals.
The solicitor general filed its opposition, pointing out that the petition failed to demonstrate that there was any “flagrant†abuse by the Office of the President in its exercise of the power of suspension over erring provincial officials.
The key phrase is: “Flagrant abuse of the power of suspension.†Failing to prove such abuse, said the Office of the Solicitor General, it is next to impossible to undo an administrative sanction which is the prerogative of any president.
And Garcia’s petition for a TRO never addressed the issue. It dwelled instead on the worn arguments she raised when she was still opposing the administrative case filed by Sanchez in 2010. These were the same arguments that Robredo found insufficient to shield Garcia from suspension.
The findings of flagrant abuse of authority are what Garcia is trying to overturn, but she brought no fresh arguments to the Court of Appeals to prove that Malacañang abused its power.
Courage in this instance does not lie in holing one’s self up in a public building. It lies in (1) putting faith in a system, flawed as it may be, that one’s constituents supposedly “fought” to build and uphold, and (2) facing your “oppressor” within the framework of said system one had sworn to uphold and defend even at the risk of becoming a “victim” of its flaws. It also means a will to use state force when necessary to end any further disruption to ordinary Filipino lives.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
When the rule of law is whatever you pay for it to be, then the saga is simply another comedy of errors.
And p-noy only shoots at targets which dont shoot back. Bullies are also inherent cowards when confronted.
The dictator BS Aquino is not the rule of law. His executive power is limited to implementing the law. The suspension order is not absolute nor final to be executed immediately. It is the Judiciary (i.e. Court of Appeals)that interprets the law. Therefore, any tyranny, grave abuse of discretion, violation of procedural or substantive due process and abuse of executive power, is subject to checks and balances. The dictator’s propaganda machinery likes to twist words in using democracy against democracy. It pretends to unite people when it divides and conquers our nation.
http://www.manilastandardtoday.com/2013/01/02/the-most-divisive-philippine-leader/
In the context of whatever’s happening in Cebu, I don’t even want to call BS Aquino a dictator anymore; it’s an insult to dictators to call him one.
5,000 people in peaceable assembly shows the rising power of the people. Should the dictator take the shot… this will further arouse more people to take to the streets in Cebu.
http://www.interaksyon.com/article/51645/gwen-garcia-supporters-mass-up-outside-cebu-capitol
The Cebuanos are known for their political astuteness, they will not take this dictatorial order to unseat Garcia sitting down. Garcia is right in defying the unlawful act of Malacanang. This is obviously a political maneuver to ensure LP victory in the coming election. Any thinking Filipino cannot help but ask why no such suspension was even suggested by Malacanang on the glaring abuse of power by the Dutertes in Davao when the mayor slapped a judicial representative to implement an eviction order in front of TV cameras. Selective justice does not deserve respect, the yellow dictator has to be defied and Garcia is the face of courage against the brand of yellow politics perpetrated by Aquino. It is disgusting and has to be stopped. I support Garcia’s stance here. May the people of Cebu show their collective disgust to the political director in Malacanang.
@nieves godinez
Davao City vice-mayor Rodrigo Duterte apparently visited an NPA camp in Compostela valley during the anniversary of the Communist Party of the Philippines. He gave a cash “donation” to the NPA unit. Is this not terrorist financing and a violation of the Anti-terrorist law? His disloyalty to the Republic of the Philippines is duly noted.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/18759-duterte-visits-typhoon-ravaged-npa-guerilla-zone
This report is from Rappler though. That makes this questionable.
@ChinoF
My source was from a military website. The Rappler article is complete with indicting pictures and quotes from the very mouth of the traitor Duterte. This makes him guilty as hell. I have read between the lines and this is no propaganda from the yellows.
well said.
and the women are the most beautiful.
davao is simply a police state headed by a tin pot dictator. a real sh#t hole. rats, beggars and hookers roam the street. water and electricity hardly works – for davao 3rd world status would be an improvement.
the dirty dutuertes should be ashamed but too busy with their scams and playing john wayne.
The average Filipino’s life is not even affected by the actions of the President’s/Governors that are elected? but THEN, when things go wrong, they blame the President/Governors? So why the avg. Filipino blames his/her misery on the President/Governor when they really have very little to do with that actual misery? So how screwed up is the avg. Filipino’s thinking? VERY?
When it is realized that the single reason these politicians seek office is for their own (and their families and friends) self-enrichment/aggrandizement then people will stop blaming these swine’s for their problems and take back what is rightfully theirs to begin with.
These politicians are all the same, they are also friends. Instead of accusing Lacierda of being a “pussy” MAYBE it should be realized by the author that this whole ‘show of force’ by Malacanang is a charade,meant to show specific ‘traits’ of a ‘concerned’ President who wants to see justice, and so suspends Garcia. BUT also wants to be seen as a compassionate leader and so is not too heavy handed in his actions to remove Garcia forcibly. BUT when the truth is found out to be a lie/scam and not what it seems? Well then the people free themselves of the shackles they wear when thinking they are in a democracy, when,in reality, it is anything but and even further still…that the politicians are all just the biggest of thieving liars and that the show/charade that masquerades as a ‘political system’ is really just one gigantic SCAM/charade and that its participants nothing more than actors/friends perpetrating a fraud on the people in everything single thing they do!!!
A side note: A fascinating FACT is that despite all the big headlines,trials,accusations of theft/corruption/thievery on the part of the Filipino politicans….not a single one of them ever goes to jail and NONE of the money is ever returned. It is the same shit,over and over again and yet the people grasp onto the idea that they live in a ‘democracy’,still waste their time voting (as if that action matters,HA!) and refrain from doing what should have been done a long long,very long time ago!
If the processes have been followed, Garcia should just leave.
holing up in the capitol will not affect anything as her signature is no longer being recognized for any documents/papers 🙂 garcia is also one of the oligarchs of philippine society she is not a victim
It never ceases to amuse me when yellow trolls drift in. Attacking Governor Gwen Garcia without presenting proof or valid arguments reveals nothing but yellow propaganda. There is already a pending case with the CA. Let us wait for the court to interpret the law and decide.
Though the courts might be manned by people who had secret courts in their hearts that are the same as sendongirl’s.
yes lets do that but remember the garcias is one the political dynasties we need to get rid of
I don’t mind having a dynasty around as long as it benefits the country. Singapore benefits from one. And South Korea thought nothing of voting in the daughter of its former dictator. What matters is results, not people.
So true. There’s something in human nature that wants to blame the “haves” for having more than we do. In reality, there’s nothing wrong with being rich. The problems start with the unholy alliances formed between the rich, the politicians and religious leaders as a way for personal enrichment to the detriment of the people. In the US they decided “rich” people are a problem so today increased their taxes, like that’s going to solve anything. Same thing in France. It’s nothing but pure envy and wanting to blame an obscure group for the problems created by the society at large. These unholy alliances have been allowed to occur again and again throughout human history but for some reason the people won’t recognize the real problem.
no one here claimed that being rich is wrong. improve your reading comprehension.
Ah, so now the question lies: “To what extent must the rich improve their wealth, which is a form of industry for the betterment of the economy?” Asking the questions to get the benefits from the industry of free market and the charity of welfarre state, are we? 😀
We should get rid of the cojuangcos and the aquinos first.
Yes, as soon as we can help it.
If you’re talking about political dynasties, you’re talking about the Cojuangcos and the Aquinos. And you go on personal attacks since you can never come up with a good argument.
PWE! XP
sendonggirl: A bit “onion-skinned” are we? My comment was not directed to you at all.
It seems sendonggirl is the one without any reading comprehension just like his/her fellow trolls.
your long winded comment was entirely based on your enlightened revelation that “In reality, there’s nothing wrong with being rich.” but nobody here is claiming that. the only possible reason is you misunderstood the article and every comment its ok it happens to me sometimes as well. six of one half a dozen of another hehehe
If you want to talk about getting rid of political dynasties, why don’t we start with the Cojuangcos, hmm?
Better yet, we should get rid of the stupid trolls that try to troll this blog.
EJECT BUTTON please!!!
The trolls don’t live long here anyway, people. Whatever happened to Vincenzo Arellano and FIshball. LOL
can we also get rid of the fanboys?
Maybe we should get rid of YOU first.
Troll harder
How about YOU first? When you’re talking about fanboys, Yellow fanboys are much worse.
Deal with it. 😛
hey vergin and johnny are you two lovers? cause youre always helping each other out in the comments. did you meet at a grp fanboy convention?
garcia set a bad precedent that you can just defy law enforcement and binay is supporting her
Meh, personal attacks won’t work TROLL. You are already getting desperate since you resort to personal attacks.
TROLL HARDER.
And what’s the story with that name of yours dumkopf? Sendong destroyed your house leaving you homeless? You’re so pitiful and a pathetic wretch for being hostile to us. Magsama kayo ni vincensus ignoramus dahil bagay kayong mga indio de bobo.
And now you’re going on personal attacks because you can never put up a good argument.
Crab mentality doesn’t exist. If it was, then that’s for CRAB PEOPLE. Tastes like crab yet walk like people.
How pathetic. Getting cornered into a corner and using ineffective personal attacks to try to get out. It seems that you are no different from the poor shmucks from malacanang.
Get a life you bum!
please stop cornering into a corner because its corny hehehehe
What’s the matter? Nothing else to do but nitpick on our grammar? We DON’T need you TROLL.
It’s the other way around. With Aquino, acting like a Dictator. Maybe, Aquino wants to put his own man or woman, a Governor. Ignoring the vote of the people of Cebu….this is a very dangerous action….Another Corona in the making…
so any body who has been “voted by the people” can just abuse her power and not expect consequences? just go back to making sex tapes Hayden, you’re embarrassing yourself
Tell that to Noynoy Aquino who just abuse his powers under the guise of his “anti-corruption” drive, defying the rule of law just to get what he wants.
Sorry, but personal attacks and insults would never win an argument. It just makes you how horrible you are. If someone who is embarrassing one’s self, it’s you.
Another proof that you’re an indio de bobo because you don’t know the difference between a good person or a bad person. Ang hina ng IQ mo day este dong. What can you expect from a narrow-minded dumkopf who just follows what he “believes” like a lemming just falling from a cliff. Now go back on eating your pagpag.
ok domo your the bestest person in the world and we are all inferior to you. congrats. end of the world. suck on your pacifier now.
See how sendonggirl looks down on children? GRP is right! Pinoy society, represented by her, looks down on children as sources of entertainment and as a group of people who has little or no intellectual value and who can’t help it! I hope the condoms of RH Bill work very well, because I’m going to pity the children that you might have.
i cant look up at children impaler theyre small
Ah, look at that again. You don’t look up to children because they are small? You must be raised by authoritarian elders and crappy telenovelas. You indeed disdain children. What’s wrong with you is that you forget that you were a child once. And you forget that there are children who are more intelligent, open-minded, and respectful than you right now.
Now either you stop eating that Yellow snow, or have your RH government remove those ovaries for you.