Even their chief didn’t like it

Who can blame the senators, and even ordinary civilians, from reacting to the Supreme Court decision on the “executive privilege” question, when even the highest official of the Court itself has expressed his objection to it so decisively? And it is not only Chief Justice Reynato Puno who has given a strongly dissenting opinion, other justices, especially the ones known for their objectivity, have also slammed the decision.

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Malacañang defenders may argue that the ruling protecting both the President and former National Economic Development Authority chairman Romulo Neri had the numbers, with nine out of the 15 members of the Highest Court in the land backing it. However, it is also very clear that those who voted for it are all appointees of this president. Even the newest appointee, former Labor Secretary Arturo Brion, who had not even warmed his seat yet, rushed in to vote for it. So what can we, the people, think?

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All right, Neri has escaped the Senate inquiry, and he may no longer be asked at least three questions that the senators would have posed to him. But what about his own disclosures when he had actually appeared before the Senate probe body, and under oath, at that? Will that not count for anything anymore, now that the Supreme Court has covered for him? I think we need someone like Hamlet to say that there is something rotten here, something that the latest SC decision is deodorizing.

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Why are those Commission on Election officials being liquidated? What do they know, or what had they done that has made them such vindictive enemies? The strange thing is that those who have been killed had not even been prominently featured in the COMELEC scams. The likes of Lintang Bedol and Virgilio Garcillano have not even complained of getting death threats. Have charges been actually filed against them, and have they progressed at all? What lucky people!

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They say that it is an ill wind that brings no good, and if there is any good that the current threat of a rice crisis has brought, it is the revival of the concern over the infamous Fertilizer Scam that has been conveniently shelved with the non-appearance of the person entrusted with its distribution. The scam was unearthed shortly after the 2004 election, and several congressmen and local government officials had been named for their involvement, but since the gangleader, a certain Jocjoc Bolante, is being kept in the United States, his cohorts here are still breathing easier.

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The worries over the feared shortages in rice supply have, however, recalled the blatant theft of the millions supposed to go into fertilizer for agricultural projects, but had, instead fertilized the pockets of some unscrupulous officials. Let us hope the call for further investigation of the scam will lead to the identification and prosecution of those who had taken shameless advantage of it. I recall that, down here, the scandal even involved forgeries and perjuries, both of which are serious crimes as well.

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Meanwhile, it was announced last night that, in the effort to allay fears of hoarding and jacking up of rice prices, the National Food Authority will sell rice directly to people in Metro Manila. Well, good for them, but what about those in the province? Will the NFA be able to service them in the same way? It should, or this will further reinforce the perception that it is only “Imperial Manila” that gets all the privileges and attention. Let us see how quickly the NFA can act on this.

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There does seem to be problems in the Supreme Court these days. Even the release of the names of the passers in the latest bar examination has been delayed, that is, an announcement came out that the names will be released Wednesday, then it was moved to the next day, and then a news report said “anytime this week”. The paper was probably playing it safe, after the postponements. Will the list be posted today, and will there be no howls about leakages or other shenanigans later? Let’s wait and see.*

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