TRIBUNE COMMENTARY: MAKING FOES SUFFER
MANILA, DECEMBER 12, 2010 (DAILY TRIBUNE) Ninez Cacho-Olivares - There can only be one reason the judiciary budget was slashed by Noynoy and his Budget secretary: Vindictiveness and their way of letting the high court suffer for earlier ruling as legitimate and constitutional, the appointment of Renato Corona as the Chief Justice.
Even before Noynoy was proclaimed president by Congress, he was already insisting that Gloria had no right to appoint the top magistrate because the appointment was done during the midnight ban.
Noynoy said it was his right to appoint the new chief justice — and certainly his choice was not Corona but one of the two Moraleses — probably Justice Conchita Morales-Carpio, as she had just a few months before retirement, after which, Noynoy would have named Justice Antonio Carpio, who would have a longer term.
Noynoy even threatened at that time, to have Corona impeached as he continued to insist that the Corona appointment was unconstitutional, despite the decision of the high court that the appointment is constitutional.
As Noynoy did not get what he wanted, he went on to ignore the new Chief Justice in a very insulting way.
And everytime the SC decisions are unfavorable to him, he gets on his high horse and slams the SC for being an Arroyo court. There was never a time when he graciously bowed to the majesty of the law — which, as the Chief Executive of the land, he should be doing as he is expected to abide by the law, favorable to him or not.
What he does instead is to try and gather public support for his hate campaign against the Supreme Court justices, while his vindictive nature thinks up of many ways and means to get back at the court to make the high court bow to him.
Not surprisingly, Noynoy's 2011 national budget made sure that the judiciary budget would be so insufficient for the entire expenses of the judiciary department, not just to make the high court administration suffer, but also figured that, with the high court not being able to pay the judges' salaries and allowances since some close to four years ago, these judges would go against the high court justices.
Instead, what is happening, given the silent protest move of the judges, their ire is rightly focused on Noynoy and his Malacañang, for giving the judiciary such a measly budget.
Consider this: Malacañang rejected the judiciary budget sibmitted by the high court, pegged at P27.1 billion for 2011. Malacañang instead gave the judiciary a budget of P14.3 billion for the entire judiciary.
Compare this amount for the entire judiciary, with P14.3 billion to just one executive department — the social services department — getting P21 billion for the year. Unfairness reeks all over Malacañang on this matter.
And yet, Noynoy keeps on pledging that he will give justice to every Filipino — which incidentally is an empty pledge as he certainly can't give justice to all. As things stand, he did Filipinos — as well as the Hong Kong tourists a great injustice when he absolved his "tamer" and target shooting crony and his allies, both in the jueteng scandal and their accountability on the Aug. 23 botched hostage rescue.
How can he even expect to give justice to the Filipinos when he chokes off funds for the judiciary — and all because his vindictive nature is always at play?
This early in his presidency, Noynoy is already misusing his power and squeezes dry whoever goes against him.
And Noynoy is like his mother, Cory Aquino who was so incompetent as a president and in a bid to hide this incompetence, focused on her foes, the Marcoses, blaming them for her failures and getting people to support her hate campaign.
Noynoy is doing the same. From day one of his presidency, he has done nothing — not even to provide any vision or direction for the country and has proven himself to be an utter failure with his incompetence and ineptitude much too glaring to ignore, which is why he focuses on the Arroyo administration and Gloria's appointees, where he conveniently lays all blame for his failure.
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Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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