When I lived in the
U.S., I would tune into C-Span, the television network that airs broadcasts of
the Senate and House in action. It is a patriotic place of contention and
argument, bias and posturing, facts and reason. Some days civil, most days down
and dirty.
The Supreme Court
impeachment trial showed me something similar. Patriotic people, contentious
and argumentative, biased and posturing, wrestling with facts and reason. Most
days were down and dirty.
But you know, the
Philippines has moved FORWARD and HIGHER, both with the outcome of the trial,
and the democratic maturity demonstrated in the proceeding. It has moved FOR
transparency and accuracy of public reporting by government employees. It has
moved FOR integrity in the Supreme Court, a fundamental requirement for
independence and respect.
No revision to the
bank secrecy law is required, I think, as the Senate has declared clearly that
SALN's must include dollar-denominated deposits. Case law is as good as written
law and anyone who purposely withholds dollar deposits does so at considerable
peril.
I'm guessing that
one outcome of the trial will be much more attention and documentation put
behind the SALN's. That's good.
The one law I would
suggest OUGHT to be added is an act that creates a regulatory agency that
oversees broadcast and print media. Today these media are self-regulated and
pretty much out of control. If there is an ethical foundation for news
reporting, it is not very strict. Rumor and borderline slander make up much of
the sensationalist reporting. Media form a loose and irresponsible mob, in the
main, more interested in titillating and attracting audience than integrity of
reporting. This is not in the public interest.
I'm not that
familiar with the political parties or persuasions of the senators. I found
most of the arguments thoughtful and, frankly, uplifting. The exceptions were
the dark political accusations of Senator Arroyo, the lunatic ranting of
Senator Santiago, and the odd argument of Senator Marcos that puts the Bill of
(personal) Rights above the Constitution. All three gave great arguments for
continuing the ways of the non-transparent and corrupt.
I trust that Get Real Post will emote and rationalize away
the proceeding as the opposite of what it was. They will claim it confirms the
vacuity of the Filipino, and their vindictiveness.
No, no. You won't
find much respect for democratic process at Get
Real Post. The real vacuity rests with the values of GRP editors and its
loyal thugs.
I hope President
Aquino has a happy visit with President Obama in the U.S. next week. President
Obama will be thoroughly briefed on the outcome of the trial, you may be
assured.
Then President
Aquino ought to return to the Philippines and go to work on constructive acts.
Get out of political name-calling, and
do some work. He's got less than four years left.
He was grossly
out-of-line during the trial as he or his spokesmen meddled in Senate affairs.
It is good that he
is enthusiastic about fighting corruption. It is bad that he lacks a certain
discipline. He displays the same kind of loose discipline that got Chief Justice Corona in
trouble.
He also tends to
shade his appointments toward friends rather than competence. He needs to go
with competence. His selection of the Supreme Court Chief Justice will be under
a huge microscope.
