I HAVE great admiration for Education Secretary Leonor M. Briones and Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano because of their sobriety, nationalism and commitment to social justice. But I reserve my harsh judgment for defeated vice-presidential candidate Alan Peter Cayetano and chief presidential legal adviser Salvador Panelo.
During the Senate committee on justice and human rights hearings where a former Davao City hit man pictured the President as a cold blooded killer, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, a frustrated vice-presidential aspirant, accused the Liberal Party (LP) of putting “Plan B” into motion and stated that Vice President Leni Robredo would benefit from the ouster of President Duterte.
Vice-President Robredo took offense at Cayetano’s allegation that she would stand to benefit from a supposed LP-backed plot to oust Mr. Duterte, stating that she was “greatly offended by the irresponsible statement of Sen. Cayetano and reiterated her stand that it is not good for the country to go through another upheaval, where the common Filipino will suffer the most.”
Cayetano’s ignominious defeat in the last elections in the hands of a reluctant candidate Leni Robredo, has addled his thinking process, prompting him to make silly, ridiculous and irresponsible remarks unworthy of a member of a supposed august body. Philippine politics has indeed gone down to its lowest depths of depravity. For a senator of the Republic to mouth childish and preposterous remarks is to insult the intelligence of the Filipino.
Impeach President Duterte? Has Mr. Cayetano forgotten that the LP has been greatly decimated and reduced to political irrelevance with the defections of super balimbings to the party in power, including former speaker Feliciano Belmonte who invented the term “LP majority” in contrast to the real opposition Rep. Teddy Baguilat’s and Rep. Edcel Lagman’s LP minority? And who will believe that a truly honorable, respectable and incorruptible leader like Leni Robredo is engaged in a conspiracy to oust President Duterte?
If Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano has the knack to make fantastic imaginings, chief presidential legal adviser Salvador Panelo is the master clown of them all. It was not long ago that Mr. Panelo was told to concentrate on his job as legal adviser and leave the duty to act as spokesperson to Secretary Ernesto Abella.
But lately, Panelo again opened his big mouth and announced that to solve our problems, we must have a “constitutional dictatorship.” Mr. Panelo said that constitutional amendments are needed to expand the powers of the president and at the same time reduce legislative and judicial powers to achieve reforms.
I do not know if Mr. Panelo echoes the sentiment of Mr. Duterte and his party, the PDP-Laban. If he has been authorized by Malacañang to float that stupid idea of having a “constitutional dictatorship” which is an oxymoron, then it sends a chilling effect on the marrow of the bones of all civil libertarians.
Weird as it may seem, Panelo’s constitutional project is not an impossible dream. Given the administration’s super majority in Congress which is composed of political marionettes, the Con-Ass will have the President’s power to declare martial law expanded and some restrictions removed, while the power of Congress and the Supreme Court would be castrated to give way to a “constitutional dictatorship.”
If this happens, may God have mercy on us all.--from Democrito C. Barcenas