ECONOMIC GROWTH: CJ IMPEACHMENT TO TEST NOY'S GOOD GOVERNANCE
POLICY
HAWAII, FEBRUARY
26, 2012 (BLOGGER WATCH) FROM HAWAII-FILIPINO
CHRONICLE - The current impeachment trial of Renato Corona, the
Philippines' Supreme Court Chief Justice, is extremely rare even in a country
with a flair for politics.
The trial has raised eyebrows not just in the Philippines, but also among
Filipinos locally and across the U.S.
Supporters of Philippine President Benigno "Noynoy" S. Aquino III say he is
making good on a campaign promise to root out corruption and promote good
governance.
After assuming the presidency in June 2010, Noynoy has aggressively gone
after top leaders in the previous administration. He has filed corruption
charges against Corona and accused former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of
electoral sabotage and other alleged wrongdoings.
Events Leading Up to Impeachment
In October 2011, the Philippines' Department of Justice (DOJ) barred Arroyo,
who won election in 2010 as a representative of Pamapanga, and her husband from
leaving the country. Arroyo appealed the DOJ's order and claimed that she needed
to travel abroad for medical treatment.
A few weeks later, the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order
(TRO) allowing the couple to leave the country under certain conditions.
Arroyo's allies in the House of Representatives asked the Supreme Court to
enforce the TRO but DOJ officials refused to budge. In mid-November 2011, an
arrest warrant was served on Arroyo, which she received during confinement at a
posh hospital in Taguig City. She was later transferred to a veterans medical
center in Quezon City and placed under hospital arrest.
In the following weeks, rumors spread of a plot by President Aquino's allies
in the House of Representatives to impeach the chief justice.
On December 12, the House initiated an impeachment complaint signed by 188
members against Corona who was accused of eight counts of graft, corruption,
betraying the public's trust and violating the Philippine Constitution. The
complaint was filed the next day in the Senate. The Senate began the impeachment
trial against Corona on January 16 with designated members of the House of
Representatives serving as prosecutors.
Arroyo is a close ally of Corona, who served as her chief-of-staff before she
appointed him to the Supreme Court in April 2002.
Shortly after Aquino won the presidency, Arroyo appointed Corona as chief
justice, a "midnight appointment" that was seen by some as an effort to derail
efforts to bring her and others in her administration to justice. Impeachment
allegations against Corona include corruption and biased rulings that favored
Arroyo.
Corona Fires Back
In response, Corona has accused Noynoy of targeting Arroyo-appointed Supreme
Court justices and filling it with his own appointees, which would give him
control of the presidency, congress and the courts.
The truth is, it's not easy to boot sitting justices and appoint one's own
nominees to the bench. Supreme Court justices can only be replaced upon
retirement or by vacancies brought about by resignation, death and conviction
after impeachment.
Some observers feel that the Corona camp, being the accused and on the
defensive, was offering rationalizations for President Aquino's actions.
"I think the president's motives are more along his stated priorities on his
fight against corruption and cleaning up the public bureaucracy, rather than
along the more political expedient of being able to appoint his own men to the
High Court," says Dr. Belinda Aquino, a retired University of Hawaii-Manoa
professor and renowned expert on Philippine affairs.
Corona's supporters have also criticized Noynoy for chasing corrupt officials
when he instead should be focusing on economic growth policies. However, many
say in defense of Noynoy that rooting out corruption would in fact result in
economic gains since corruption is one of the reasons why investors are
reluctant to do business in the Philippines.
Toy Arre, former president and CEO of the Filipino Community Center, agrees
that rooting out corruption would have a positive effect on the Philippines'
economy.
"Economic growth is difficult for the Philippines, even under ideal
conditions," Arre says. "It's exponentially more difficult under a corrupt
system of government."
Ramifications of Impeachment
Noynoy's initiatives against corruption is seen as a cleansing process which,
if successful in higher levels of government, could have an effect on the
citizenry when it comes to weeding out graft.
"The problem has been rooted so long in the Philippine body politic that it
will be extremely difficult to eradicate," says Dr. Aquino. "But the attempts of
the current administration are welcomed news in a country that has been so long
mired in corrupt practices."
Dr. Aquino was surprised that Noynoy openly and aggressively targeted a "big
fish" like Corona, instead of using a more subtle, low-key approach.
"He comes from a younger generation and less constrained I would imagine by
the traditional niceties of Philippine politics and the possibility of being hit
back." Aquino says.
Others like Visayan community leader Jun Colmenares say it was a good idea
for Noynoy to go after a "big fish" like Corona.
"If the president is serious about going after government corruption, then a
big fish (like Corona) is a good choice," he says. "It shows that he intends to
root out corruption at the highest levels of government. What the Philippines
needs is moral regeneration. It has been so mired in corruption for the past
decades that it is high time to root it out. We need good and honest government
leaders."
State House Rep. Joey Manahan hopes that the Aquino administration treads
carefully—for its own sake.
"In principle, I agree with the policy of 'good governance' the Aquino
administration is trying to put forth, but there is a balance that needs to be
maintained once it is put into practice," Rep. Manahan says. "President Aquino
is walking a fine line and I hope that the end game works to his advantage.
Otherwise he will appear to be just as guilty of the graft and corruption that
his administration is trying to prevent."
A Long, Winding Process
Unfortunately, the trial could take months and consume much of the Aquino
administration's time and effort. It is possible for the public to become
cynical with the never-ending technicalities and legal maneuverings from both
sides.
"The reality in the Philippines is that the machinery for justice is so slow,
cumbersome, antiquated and in some cases, corrupt," says Dr. Aquino. "Judicial
reform is badly needed in the Philippines. Progress has not been made despite
attempts in the past to overhaul the system of justice.
This long-standing structural deficiency has to be addressed but it is easier
said than done because the political will is not there, among other issues."
Senate President Enrile, who is presiding over the proceedings, was
frustrated early on mainly because the prosecution team from the House had not
gotten its act together in presenting its case before the Senate. It took awhile
for things to get up to speed, since impeachment cases are rare and that House
lawmakers needed to switch gears and become judicial entities—a role which they
were not used to playing.
Sen. Miriam Santiago last week berated a member of the prosecution panel on
the Senate floor regarding trial proceedings. She and fellow senators were
reminded by Enrile to control their emotions during the proceedings.
"I hate to say this but soon, the whole thing might degenerate into a
political circus, more as entertainment rather than anything else," says Dr.
Aquino.
The impeachment trial has been televised live and is expected to last for
several months. But will the common man be interested in watching the events
unfold or will he be too busy eeking out a living? For Colmenares, the common
tao should follow the proceedings.
"The impeachment trial is big news in the Philippines. Given the Filipinos'
penchant for politics, I am pretty sure many people there will follow it," he
says.
Rep. Manahan disagrees and says that the high stakes political game will
likely be out of the common man's reach.
"I can't imagine there would be too much interest in following the
proceedings for the average citizen in the Philippines or even abroad, because
we are so far removed from this level," says Rep. Manahan. "It is a sad
commentary on Philippine politics, and it says a lot about the disparity between
the people and the officials who represent our interests."
Dr. Aquino agrees.
"As you know, the 'common tao' in the Philippines is largely engaged in
earning a living at the most elemental level. Their energies are spent trying to
survive above water," she says.
"I think this is a test case of Noynoy's slogan for good governance—Kung
walang Korap, walang Mahirap, or words to that effect. You can also turn it
around to Kung walang Mahirap, walang Korap because as people get out of the
poverty level, hopefully, they will be able to participate more in public
affairs and be more critical of the way the government is run."
Striking a Balance
With the trial headed into the end of its third week, public support for the
impeachment remains steady. Things could change, however, if the government and
congress focus too much of their collective efforts on what critics characterize
as "vindictive politics."
One ominous sign is the release of the Philippines' economic growth report
for 2011. According to the National Statistical Coordination Board, gross
domestic product was 3.7 percent, which is less than half of 2010's 7.6 percent
and below the government's projections of between 4.5 to 5.5 percent.
Critics may see it as proof that the government is excessively focusing on
chasing corrupt officials from the previous administration, rather than working
on the economy, creating jobs and alleviating poverty.
Administration officials trace part of the decrease to less government
spending—a policy that Noynoy called for to ensure that government contracts
were free of corruption. With reforms completed, they expect 2012 to be a much
better year.
For Noynoy's sake, Rep. Manahan hopes that he distances himself from the
proceedings and lets the process take its course. He also pointed out the
importance of public officials who are involved in the trial to be as
transparent and unbiased as possible.
To quell his critics and maintain public support, the Aquino administration
needs to strike a better balance between economic growth and other important
matters besides the impeachment trial.
That is, in fact, what good governance is all about.
ABOUT THE HAWAII-FILIPINO CHRONICLE:
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The Hawaii Filipino Chronicle has been an informative resource to the
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Montesines-Sonido, the Chronicle has published numerous articles helping small
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Ms. Montesines-Sonido was recently honored by the Hawaii Filipino Women's
Club as the Woman Achiever in the field of journalism. She was also recognized
by the City Council, the Senate, and the House of Representatives, Governor
Linda Lingle, Mayor Mufi Hanneman, and the Kalayaan Philippines-Hawaii
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the Honolulu Community Media Council, and is Honolulu's SBA Small Business
Journalist of the Year for 2006.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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