Will solons ignore killings of voters?

Proximity to power is itself power. Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile sat beside the President for picnic lunch last Saturday at the Arenas farm in Malasiqui, Pangasinan. Two days later he became Senate President. It’s yet unclear how deeply Gloria Arroyo was involved in toppling Manuel Villar from the third highest post in the land. But Enrile surely briefed her of looming leadership changes in the Congress chamber that’s been giving her political headaches. He must have told her his reply to the admin and opposition senators who had been egging him since October to accept the position. That is, that he’s turning 85 and avoiding stress, but that he acceded when the clamor grew too loud with 14 guaranteed votes out of 23 senators. And Arroyo must have chuckled finding out that even her gravest foes — Senators Mar Roxas, Ping Lacson, Loren Legarda, Jinggoy Estrada, Rodolfo Biazon, Jamby Madrigal, Francis Escudero and Jinggoy Estrada — sided with her loyalist Enrile.

The question now is what’ll happen to the investigations of anomalies under Arroyo. Will the senators still make her former agriculture exec Jocjoc Bolante explain his misuse of P728 million for her 2004 election campaign? Will they try to get to the bottom of retired police general Eliseo dela Paz’s misuse of P10 million in intelligence fund on his last week in office with permission from Arroyo’s favorite Interior Sec. Ronnie Puno?

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The quashing of Gloria Arroyo’s impeachment began at the House yesterday. The pro-Arroyo committee on justice may have had no choice but to declare the complaint of Joey de Venecia as sufficient in form. But expect it to find the detailed raps in the next few days as insufficient in substance. The body is under orders to kill the case in two weeks. Will its members not care about the killings and kidnappings of constituents by Arroyo’s death squads, one of the indictments?

The complaint is not only about Arroyo’s NBN-ZTE, Diwalwal-ZTE, Northrail, swine and fertilizer scams, and bribery of congressmen to quash last year’s impeachment. It includes “O-Plan Bantay Laya,” a paramilitary plot started in 2002 to snuff out civilian sympathizers of communist rebels. Slayings and abductions intensified in 2005 when Arroyo’s rigging of her previous year’s election, to include peasant and labor leaders, churchmen, rights lawyers, journalists and judges. Justice Jose Melo’s commission and UN human rights rapporteur Philip Alston amply researched the incidents. Arroyo hid the Melo report, but Alston found the killers or kidnappers to be directly under the Commander-in-Chief.

The complaint lists the executions of 601 militants and 42 journalists, involuntary disappearance of 176 persons, torture of 245 more in police-military camps, and illegal arrest of 1,563.

Narrated in detail were the abductions of organic farming expert Jonas Burgos in April 2007; student activists Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño, and farmer Manuel Merino in June 2006; Leo Velasco in Feb. 2007; Patricio Abalos in March 2005; Perseus Geagoni in Dec. 2005; Riel Custodio, Michael Masayes, Axel Alejandro Pinpin, Aristedes Sarmiento and Enrico Ybañez in April 2006; Rev. Berlin Guerrero in May 2007; father and son Rogelio and Gabriel Calubad in June 2006; and the Hacienda Luisita Massacre of Nov. 2004.

Detailed too were the torture of brother-farmers Raymond and Reynaldo Manalo for months since Feb. 2006; Oscar Leuterio, Bernabe Mendiola, Virgilio Calila and Teresa Calilap in April 2006; Fernando Torres, Nonilon Parro, Herbert Imperial and minors Jefferson Paraiso, Kennedy Abilio and Joey Imperial in June 2006; Angie Ipong in March 2003; and Ruel Marcial in July 2006.

Also, the killings of Rev. Isaias Salubad in June 2006; Sta. Rosa in Aug. 2006; Eddie Gumanoy and Eden Marcellana in April 2003; Alice Omengan-Claver, plus frustrated killing of Dr. Constancia Claver in July 2006; Agnes Abelon and 5-year-old son Amante Jr., and frustrated killing of Amante Abelon Sr. in March 2006; Diosdado Fortuna in Sept. 2005; Sichi Bustamante Gandinao in March 2007; spouses Expedito and Manuela Albarillo in March 2002; Rev. Andy Pawican in May 2006; Romy Sanchez in March 2005; Florante Collantes in Oct. 2005; Ricardo Uy in Nov. 2005; and Alden Ambida in April 2005.

The homes where the victims were picked up are listed. Congressmen and women know who among the killed, kidnapped and tortured are their constituents. So the question is what they will do. Will they accept Arroyo’s new round of bribery of legislators, or will they stand up for their voters for a change?

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Complaints about delayed justice continue to pour in. The latest is from Jesus Senseng, who wrote:

“My wife and I are both 65 years old. I was glad that you wrote about how long that collection case has dragged in court. I am a plaintiff in a court case that is 13 years old and running, and I am inclined to believe that the case is barely a fourth of the way unless something big happens with our justice system. I am not hoping for a miracle because injustice is not divine but purely man-made.

“I am sure the ‘and running’ court cases are in the hundreds of thousands if not millions. To help arrest corruption may I suggest to President Arroyo to form a special anti-graft group with the sole mandate of investigating court cases that are at least five years old. Open this can of worms and they will have their hands full of graft cases.

“Incidentally, my case is very simple. I bought a lot from a big real estate company in cash in 1995. Up to now I am still asking for a title and possession of the lot that I bought.”

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