PARTY / THERE'S NO CONSTITUTIONAL CRISIS
MANILA, DECEMBER
15, 2011 (ABS-CBN)
(PHOTO FROM VIDEO- Hours after Chief Justice Renato Corona
delivered a stinging speech against him, President Aquino was seen thanking his
allies for partying with congressmen during the Christmas party of the House of
Representatives. ANC Dateline Philippines, Dec. 15, 2011).
President Benigno Aquino on Wednesday personally thanked congressmen who
impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona during their Christmas party at the House
of Representatives.
In his Christmas message to lawmakers, Aquino thanked the congressmen, who
are mostly his political allies in the majority coalition.
He aso he expressed gratitude for the quick passage of the 2012 national
budget.
He expressed hope for reforms in the judiciary, as well as better prospects
for the economy next year.
Aquino also told lawmakers in jest that even while Congress goes on a break
starting Thursday, he has to remain on duty at work.
The party was mostly closed off to the media, but ABS-CBN News managed to
obtain a video of the President gamely singing with with congressmen during the
socials.
The song he sang? "Estudyante Blues."
VIDEO PNOY PARTIES AFTER CORONA SPEECH FROM
ABS-CBN
Video: President Aquino thanks allies at congress for impeaching Chief
Justice Corona at House Christmas Party
CLICK: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/video/nation/12/15/11/pnoy-parties-after-corona-speech#ooid=h4NXU0MzpFJs3rCYTkb20dybs8ElofIT
USE SHORTENED URL: http://alturl.com/ojzqg
Aquino's war on corruption stirs fierce debate By
Jason Gutierrez, Agence France-Presse Posted at 12/15/2011 4:43 PM | Updated as
of 12/15/2011 4:44 PM
MANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino has won praise for
targeting some of the country's most powerful figures in his war on corruption,
but his bruising tactics are also causing an increasing uproar.
Aquino's campaign has moved into top gear over the past month, when he used
the force of his office to arrest his predecessor Gloria Arroyo, then engineered
the unprecedented impeachment of the country's top judge for allegedly
protecting her.
Aquino, the son of democracy heroes, won presidential elections in a
landslide last year on a vow to end the pervasive culture of corruption that is
one of the key reasons for the Philippines' crushing poverty.
He has said that Arroyo, who ruled the country for nearly a decade before
him, was one of the worst culprits -- a view widely held by the public -- and
vowed to make her his top priority in his anti-graft campaign.
Aquino has also sacked some top officials at state-controlled corporations
who were appointed during Arroyo's time, and forced the resignation of the head
graft prosecutor, who was also seen as sympathetic to the former president.
But while the president continues to enjoy record support in public opinion
polls, there is growing concern that he is employing unnecessary and legally
questionable bully tactics to achieve his goals.
"While we support the reform agenda of the president, its implementation must
respect and not subvert the constitutional allocation of power," Roan Libarios,
president of the 50,000-strong Integrated Bar of the Philippines, told AFP.
"This is sending a chilling effect. This sends a signal to judges that if the
president does not like your ruling, they can make life difficult for you, or
worse (you may) be impeached and removed."
This week Aquino, with stunning speed, marshalled his allies in Congress to
impeach Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.
The impeachment complaint, signed by two-thirds of lawmakers in just a few
hours, accused Corona of betraying public trust and violating the constitution
in rulings that favored Arroyo, as well as personal corrupt acts.
The dramatic turn of events came after Corona's office, the highest arbiter
of the law in the land, last month overturned a travel ban on Arroyo that the
government had put in place as it prepared charges against her.
Arroyo had said she needed to travel abroad for medical reasons, but the
government feared she intended to flee to escape prosecution.
Aquino controversially ignored the Supreme Court's ruling and ordered that
Arroyo remain in the country.
She was shortly afterwards charged with rigging the 2007 senatorial elections
and is now detained at a military hospital while awaiting trial.
Aquino then launched a blistering shame campaign against Corona, whom he
called an "agent" appointed by Arroyo to the Supreme Court for the single
purpose of ensuring she did not end up behind bars.
The impeachment case will now go to trial in the senate, which will determine
whether Corona must step down.
Arroyo appointed Corona to his post hours before she stepped down last year,
a move Aquino said violated a constitutional ban on "midnight appointments" by
outgoing leaders.
But Libarios argued that Aquino may have brought the country to the brink of
a constitutional crisis, because by attacking the integrity of the country's
highest judge, he had also weakened the entire judicial institution.
"Of the three branches of government, the judiciary is the weakest. It does
not have the powerful sword of the president, or the awesome purse of congress,"
Libarios said.
Libarios' concern was shared by hundreds of lawyers and judges who staged a
walkout on Wednesday to cheer Corona as he delivered a speech to accuse Aquino
of fomenting a "dictatorship".
Two members of Aquino's ruling coalition also refused to sign the impeachment
complaint, saying they had not been given enough time to study it.
Some media commentators normally supportive of the president have also voiced
concern about whether he is trampling on the justice system in his determination
to nail Arroyo.
Political opponents have also accused him of a witch-hunt against his
predecessor.
But Harry Roque, a constitutional law professor at the University of the
Philippines, said he believed Aquino had not broken any laws and pointed out
that he still had the overwhelming support of the public.
"His anti-corruption efforts are now gaining traction. He should have
actually done this from day one, but it's better late than never," Roque told
AFP.
"Constitutional processes are there to promote accountability among
impeachable public officers, and that is what the president has followed."
And crucially in a country long plagued by coup attempts and "people power"
marches, the military has remained behind Aquino while there have been no street
protests against him.
FROM MANILA BULLETIN
No constitutional crisis Processes working for stronger
democracy, SC By HANNAH L. TORREGOZA and MARIO B. CASAYURANDecember
15, 2011, 6:11pm
MANILA, Philippines — Far from suggestions that a constitutional crisis is
brewing as a result of the impeachment of the Chief Justice, what is unraveling
shows proof that the country's constitutional process is "alive and working" and
that democracy and the Supreme Court (SC) may come out stronger, senators said
on Thursday.
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano described as "healthy" the
controversial verbal clash between President Benigno S. Aquino III and Chief
Justice Renato C. Corona.
"We still haven't reached a point of constitutional crisis. In fact, we are
experiencing the reverse. The Constitution is alive and it is working. The
clashing of the great powers of the government was meant by the framers of the
Constitution. Precisely, because the government shouldn't be a dictatorship with
only one person or branch reigning supreme," Cayetano said.
The minority leader said that after listening to Corona's scathing speech
against the Chief Executive, it is clear that "things are going to get worse
before they get better."
"It's healthy. It's an extraordinary release because not everyone gets
impeached. It's not often that the House gets to decide on the impeachment of an
impeachable officer. But this just shows the Constitutional process is working,"
he said.
Cayetano said that allowing the public to openly see the conflict between the
two co-equal branches of government is a vigorous exercise.
"Both sides, the Executive and the Judiciary, feel they are required to
articulate their stands and explain to the people what is happening. But the
Senate has to be very fair and we have to stick to the evidence and to the
issues that are brought up in the impeachment court," he said.
He rejected suggestions that these developments indicate that the country
could suffer a constitutional crisis.
"A constitutional crisis will occur if, in the event of a conflict between
branches of the government, the Constitution does not clearly state how the
situation will be resolved. But right now, with the impeachment process, the
system is really working," Cayetano said.
Sen. Gregorio B. Honasan II shares a similar view, saying that Philippine
democracy and the SC will be stronger after overcoming the painful experience of
impeaching the Chief Justice.
"The Supreme Court will also come out of this stronger," said Honasan. "I am
also confident that down the road we will overcome this and our democracy will
be stronger. We come out of this stronger but we have to go through this."
His positive outlook comes with an admission that there is a tough price to
pay.
"We (senators) have decided on this. There will perceptions that the
credibility and impartiality of all the three branches (of government) will be
weakened temporarily, especially the Supreme Court which is on the line because
of the Chief Justice," he said.
No developing country has gotten to where they are now without going through
the impeachment trial that pitted two of the country's three co-equal and
independent branches of government, he said.
While other countries go through a violent phase, Filipinos should be
thankful because their leaders resort only to name-calling, he said.
Meanwhile, Sen. Edgardo Angara urged senator-judges to still look into the
possibility of mediating between the contending parties in the trial to allay
the political tension.
"As in a regular court, the judge has the authority to mediate and encourage
dialogue before going into trial," he said.
The Senate he said stressed should first explore areas of reconciliation.
"Is there really no hope for a truce so the entire country will not have to
be caught up in the dispute between the President and the Chief Justice? It is
not too late," Angara said.
In Malacañang, the battle with the Chief Justice seemed far from over as the
President turned the tables on Corona and accused him of dictatorial tendencies
in past decisions of the SC.
Aquino maintained a combative mood and belied the accusation of Corona that
he was plotting a dictatorship by pursuing his impeachment.
Aquino claimed it was actually Corona who has been dictating on the High
Tribunal to change previous rulings to suit his interests.
"Maybe that's their position there. Let's see whose actions prove the
(creeping dictatorship)," the President said.
Asked to comment on Corona's statement Thursday of acting dictatorial, Aquino
said: "For example, we go to the court expecting it is a symbol of lady justice
with eyes blindfolded and holding the scales of justice. There is fairness and
certainty in the law. So when the certainty and predictability of the law is
gone, when the interpretation of the law often changes, who is being followed
now? Who is dictating?"
For his part, Corona said he will not go on leave as head of the country's
judiciary despite the proddings of Malacañang for him to do so.
In a text message sent to the Manila Bulletin, Court Administrator and
Supreme Court (SC) Spokesman Jose Midas P. Marquez said: "If the time comes he
(Corona) thinks he cannot perform fully his functions anymore, I'm sure he will
be the first one to go on leave."
In his speech on Wednesday, Corona said he will not resign and will face
trial before the Senate, knowing that the impeachment charges against him were
baseless and filed only to besmirch the reputation of the judiciary and
undermine its independence.
One Cabinet official also in feisty mood was Justice Secretary Leila de Lima,
who took the cudgels for the President by calling Corona's appointment as Chief
Justice the "Hello Garci" of the Judiciary.
De Lima branded Corona as a "walking constitutional violation" and a "usurper
to the Office of the Chief Justice."
"From the moment of his appointment, Chief Justice Corona was a walking
constitutional violation. His appointment was the 'Hello Garci' of the judicial
department," she said.
"Corona, in his own twisted view of reality, may call the President a
dictator, but he can never question Aquino's mandate as the duly elected
President of the people. All that Corona can show for himself is his illegal and
unconstitutional appointment as a usurper to the Office of the Chief Justice by
the other usurper Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo," she added. (With
reports from Rey G. Panaligan, Genalyn D. Kabiling, Leonard D. Postrado, Rolly
T. Carandang and Carlo S. Felipe)
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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rights reserved
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