MANILA, DECEMBER 24, 2010 (TRIBUNE) The case of Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia gives little hope that Noynoy's boast of walang corrupt, walang mahirap (no corruption, no poverty) will ever be achieved under his administration. Garcia's plunder case was one of the many that was a residue of the past administration which is characterized by wholesale corruption and, like most cases that involved the raiding of money from the past administration already had built-in safety nets before these were inherited by Noynoy.
There may have been good reasons to suspect that those positions with guaranteed tenure under the Constitution, primarily in the judiciary, may have been stacked with people with whom the previous occupants of the Palace would not have a hard time negotiating, in terms of securing their rank. But Noynoy in classic yellow arrogance, chose to pick a fight with the well-placed appointees rather than win them over, which was all these supposed custodians of justice are waiting for.
The plea bargain that was granted Garcia is concededly provided under the law but under the discretion of the presiding court official which, as one former member of the judiciary said, should not have been allowed for the glaring reason it is disadvantageous to the government.
Immediately, the reaction from the Palace, articulated by the Justice secretary, was that the plea bargain was out of order and the impression given was that it was part of the ongoing struggle between the Arroyo appointees in the judiciary and Noynoy.
The problem with such a practice of categorization from the Palace, however, would likely further steel the resolve of the offended justices to go against the will of the Palace, over which Noynoy will have little control, as long as the court actions comply with procedures.
A stalemate with the judiciary would be a huge drawback for Noynoy's administration. It does not matter who is being perceived to be on the right side of the conflict but the sum of it is the further slowing of the already turtle-paced judicial system. And for Noynoy, this may turned out to be a further erosion of his perceived capacity for effective governance.
Noynoy should push a modus vivendi with the justices in which the fact that the judiciary is an independent branch of government is well respected which is a more realizable option rather than engaging them in endless strife.
An ongoing battle with the judiciary would be a constant headline material for the media but will not make any contribution to the achievement of Noynoy's claimed lofty goals or even crumbs of these.
The people who voted him into office hold Noynoy to his promise of eradicating graft in government and it would be up to him to effect the change.
The probable root of his difficulty with the judiciary should lie on his uncanny ability to alienate people rather than win them over as partners. Noynoy should rid himself of his inbred selective yellow attitude that those not within his familiar circle is an enemy.
Garcia would be a case in point. The view from within Garcia's circle, as can be gleaned from Sen. Gringo Honasan, is that efforts to spring him from jail in whatever manner, could be part of a bigger plot to cover up the corrupt practices within the military and the government in general.
The going bet is that Garcia, after being freed on bail with the lighter offense that he had admitted to, would already be firming up plans to fly abroad, probably the United States, where he, along with his family, had acquired citizenship.
During the past administration, it was a practice for officials being targeted as witnesses to suddenly feel the tourism pang and find themselves in a long vacation abroad.
If Noynoy is really sincere in his battle against corruption, instead of paying lip service to it, the plans that should be devised from the Palace against past corrupt practices need to be long range where the ultimate goal is to pull up the foul practices from its root.
An unresponsive, if not antagonistic, judiciary will not help Noynoy in any way.
Again, the probable solution is in Noynoy himself.
But only if he starts acting as president and no longer the Yellow-anointed candidate.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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