Monday, March 31, 2008 Legazpi: The hidden truth? By Carlos Legazpi Jr. Questions that matter
THE highest court of the land has spoken. Commission on Higher Education chairman Romulo Neri and all who have invoked executive privilege under oath in the Senate inquiries are now vindicated and can now walk with pride and tell the whole world that they are indeed correct in their invocation and in protecting the interest of the Chief Executive.
This is a great slap for truth seekers and graft busters in the country. This only goes to show that the administration will always have a way of circumventing the truth.
Now, all legal matters are off. I would like to infer that this is not an issue of executive privileges but on seeking the only truth on the alleged kickbacks and illegal, immoral, and shameful transactions of this administration with ZTE and other international and multinational organizations.
Sorry, but I guess many of our honorable justices have been blinded and had helped in hiding the truth. I guess future generations will be the ones to judge these people.
Parallel history would reveal that Neri is like the unopened envelope that sent Erap away. But this time, the envelope is so sealed that all the hard zeal of the government are attached to it. Now, a ribbon has enclosed Neri. I hope that this concealment would put down his chief executive.
I do not see the clear logic behind the decision of the Supreme Court. It seems that the justices who concurred with the decision really concealed the truth that the people should need to know. Concurring with the decision were Justices Leonardo Quisumbing, Renato Corona, Dante Tinga, Minita Chico Nazario, Presbitero Velasco, Eduardo Antonio Nachura, Ruben Reyes and Arturo Brion, the former labor secretary who was named the 15th member of the tribunal as it deliberated the landmark case.
Chief Justice Reynato Puno dissented, along with Justices Antonio Carpio, Consuelo Ynares Santiago, Alicia Austria Martinez, Conchita Carpio Morales and Adolf Azcuna. It greatly saddens me to really see that the highest court of the land has made a decision in favor of the concealment of the truth.
I salute the Senate for courageously asking for explanation on such a decision but the High Court was fast in responding the principle of the separation of the powers in government. To add more insult to injury the decision reiterates the separate functions of the Legislative and the Executive. It seems that they are telling the senators to stay away from the decisions of the Executive.
I sadly see Neri and all those who have been part of the anomalous and scandalous dealings of this administration dancing and rejoicing upon the decision. But I see the poor Juan de la Cruz sitting behind the street and watching the hot cars of the administration passing by and throwing from their windows empty plastic bags of multinational food chains. The majority of the Filipinos become homeless and sick while family members of the executive are roaming the busy streets of foreign countries.
The majority of the Filipinos seeing the rising cost of existence while children of those in the administration are wasting the peoples' money on worthless technological gadgets. This is our country today. The situation will worsen in the near future because of the un-addressed problem of graft and corruption.
Shall we remain blind and wait for the worst case scenario?
I take off my hat to Bishop Cruz, Bishop Navarra and other bishops for standing against GMA and all the truth concealers of this administration. I agree with Bishop Cruz in the barring of those who have committed public sins from receiving the Eucharist. I agree with him that it is like throwing the Body and blood of Christ to the dogs. I hope these people understand what they are receiving in the Holy Eucharist.
So let us not stop in the move to replace or seek the resignation of the people running our government. We continue our shout for better governance.
Pope John Paul II and St. Ezekiel Moreno, pray for us.
Belated birthday greetings to Mr. Propcopio Tanalgo Jr. of Bacolod Chicken Inasal. (For comments, email me at ecaloy1@yahoo.com.)
