Finally, Arroyo sued for giving up territory

“In every man’s life there will come a moment of truth, a moment when a decision has to be made, when one has to put to test his conscience and reason,” Justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma said. Her words rang true during the fight against Marcos’s mighty military rule, and are a timely reminder today under s rotting system. Timely too is the setting up of a foundation in the late Justice’s honor, by her kith and kin, to promote her pet causes: education, human rights, and rule of law.

Foundation chair Mina Gabor and vice chair Florangel Rosario Braid announced yesterday their formation last September and formal launch on Constitution Day, Feb. 2, 2009. This early, though, they reveal plans to give a biennial award to an outstanding lawyer, whether in private or state practice. With nominations to open in Feb., the criteria are excellence in the legal field, promotion of good governance, and leadership in civil society. The awardee will receive a cash prize, a trophy by world-renowned sculptor Ramon Orlino, and a grant to promote the recipient’s project or institution. They will also have an annual conference on legal issues every Nov. 22, Justice Muñoz Palma’s birthday. The foundation already is supporting the college or vocational education of graduates from Justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma High School (formerly Payatas High School) in Quezon City.

Other foundation trustees: Maia Feria, Lourdes Cardema Soller, Zenaida Quezon Avanceña, Nonie Basilio, Pearl Palma Cardema, Lulu Tesoro Casta-ñeda, Victoria Garchitorena, Augusto Almeda Lopez, Tadeo Palma, Car-mencita Reodica, Justice Abraham Sarmiento, Comm. Rene Sarmiento, Teresita Sison, and Grace Palma Tiongco. Atty. Ulpiano sits as executive director, and Emily A. Palma as deputy. Contact details: Justice Cecilia Muñoz Palma Foundation, c/o The Firm of Sarmiento, Delson, Dakanay and Resurrecion, 8th Flr. Immaculate Conception Bldg., 41 Lantana St., Cubao, QC; telefax (632) 727-7486; e-mail [email protected].

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Gloria Macapagal Arroyo recklessly employed deceit last August in attempting to grant territory to Moro separatists. Good thing the Supreme Court stopped her minions from signing the Memo of Agreement-Ancestral Domain with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Her Bangsamoro Juridical Entity would have been a state within the state, against RP sovereignty. Her not informing the people to fall under Moroland broke transparency rules. Her guaranteeing Charter revisions to the MILF usurped legislative authority. The High Tribunal no less so ruled by a vote of 8-7; even five of the seven minority justices deemed the MOA-AD unconstitutional though moot. In effect, Arroyo broke her oath to defend the fundamental law at all times. For this, she must be impeached and tried for culpable violation of the Constitution.

That in gist is what seven Internet bloggers and two Muslim youths stated in a motion to intervene in the original complaint against Arroyo. That earlier filing on Oct. 13 by Joey de Venecia and 18 others dwelt on the ZTE, Northrail and Bolante scams, and killings and abductions of militants. On Oct. 14 the Supreme Court ruled that Malacañang broke the Charter on three counts with the MOA-AD. Thus, the intervention to include it among Arroyo’s crimes, by bloggers Manuel L. Quezon III, Marck Ronald Rimorin, Edwin Lacierda, Jeremy I. Gatdula, Arbet W. Bernardo, Maria A. Jose and Richard M. Rivera, and Muslim youth leaders Nasser Marohom-Salic and Pitch Mangondato.

The bloggers cited anguished public statements in their blogspots when the press exposed the MOA-AD. The Muslim youths echoed the sentiment of Mindanao folk that Arroyo is using them for political gain. The Tribunal last Tuesday denied all motions to reconsider its October decision. In filing the intervention the day after, the nine said theirs is not a supplemental rap that by precedent the House of Reps might mechanically junk. The motion to intervene is unprecedented, and will be decided upon by the committee on justice.

This is the fourth impeachment rap against Arroyo in as many years. Malacañang used pork barrel releases — taxpayers’ money — to quash the first three. An overwhelming majority of the 239-member House is allied with Arroyo. Her popularity is at its ebb: negative-38 percent, according to the Social Weather Stations in July. This week Pulse Asia also released its latest Arroyo polling: negative-19 approval and negative-27 trust ratings. Yet only seven congressmen, all leftists, consistently oppose her; the 28-man minority is hesitant to endorse impeachment because also desirous of pork slabs. Thus, against the people’s will, Arroyo’s popularity among their “reps” is a obsequious positive-97.1 percent. Five Catholic bishops, among them the head of their association, recently called for immediate cleansing of the corrupt administration.

Rep. Matias Defensor, justice committee head, had sneered at the original impeachment rap because it did not include the MOA-AD. He said in October that Malacañang’s blunder in dealing with separatists is what would incite congressmen to indict Arroyo. At the height of the public furor in August, the 50 or so Christian and Muslim congressmen from Mindanao decried the MOA-AD as treachery against their constituents. Their vote on the impeachment issue will show if they are true to their word.

Come to think of it, the Commission on Audit says 103 congressmen had received part of the P728-million loot from Jocjoc Bolante in 2004. That means they are accomplices to plunder and thus have no right to investigate him. They should inhibit from voting on the impeachment. They should also stop their sham investigation under the House agriculture committee and let the Senate do it.

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Movie actors Tommy Abuel, Bembol Roco, Lou Veloso and Dido de la Paz lead the cast of “Mga Gerilya sa Powell Street,” a play about Filipino war vets seeking recompense from and recognition by the US government. Running for all weekends in November at the CCP Tangha-lang Huseng Batute, “Gerilya” is an adaptation of Benjamin Pimentel’s award-winning novel about five old and gray men who had sacrificed their youth fighting alongside US troops against Japan in Bataan. It recounts Washington DC’s promise of equal pay and benefits as American GIs for Filipino army enlistees, only to be rescinded by the US Congress after the War was won. Chris Millado directs from the script by Rody Vera.

Evening performances, 8 p.m., are on Fridays and Saturdays; 3 p.m. matinees on Saturdays and Sundays.

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E-mail: [email protected]