It does look like Charter change is so greatly feared. It may finally see the light of day, otherwise why the nervousness? That same nervousness has reached the Judicial and Bar Council with the recent exclusion of three applicants — Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera, former BIR Commissioner Atty. Jose Buñag and Atty. Rodolfo Robles. There is no quarrel about the mandate of the Judicial and Bar Council to help the President in her selection of the best candidates for the post but it must do so justly. If it turns out that the JBC itself has not been impartial in its acts, then there will be a cloud on its integrity and it will reap the contempt of the public. It works both ways.
The JBC must not use its mandate to favor those who they think would be against Charter change if it came to pass that the issue is to be put before the Supreme Court. But neither must it use the same mandate to load the dice against those who they think might be for Charter change. It is increasingly looking that way when they excluded the three applicants.
Both Devanadera and Bunag were disqualified for allegedly having pending cases against them. What was not said was that the cases were mere accusations and had not been filed in court. Devanadera was a respondent in the plunder case of Luis Singson versus Narciso Abaya filed before the Office of the Ombudsman, but she has since sent documents to prove she was no longer a respondent in the case.
The 65-year-old Robles was disqualified “because of age.” In the case of Robles, as Fr. Joaquin Bernas has explained the constitutional requirement for the Supreme Court, is that they must not be more than 70 years old.
Therefore by excluding a 65-year-old or a career person in the judiciary, the JBC has effectively amended the Constitution. “The JBC has no authority to do that,” wrote Bernas.
Through flimsy excuses, the three have been excluded from the list of nominees to be deliberated on by the JBC on Monday on who to include in the short list of three nominees for Ms Arroyo’s consideration.
However, there is a catch to all this. Why are other candidates with pending cases in the preliminary stages similar to Devanadera treated differently? They remain in the list. According to reports included even if they had pending cases were Court of Appeals Justices Juan Enriquez, Martin Villarama Jr. and Mariano del Castillo.
What is the point of its claimed transparency if it cannot be just and is just as partial as those they criticize. All that Devanadera is asking is that she be given equal and just treatment.
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In the last few days, we witnessed two persons of authority use abusive words against those who want Charter change. One came from Cardinal Rosales himself whom one would expect to be the fount of all that is good and calm. He likened members of Congress who push for Charter change to rapists. He must have known it is wrong because he did apologize for making such an insulting analogy but added “you get the idea.” And to make it even more abhorrent he said “it’s like entrusting your teenage daughter in the care of a rapist.” The good cardinal is entitled to his opinion, but I would think he would have been better advised had he kept his cool and used language in keeping with his holy position.
There are other ways to express what he means, as he indeed later said “it would not be prudent to allow certain members of the House of Representatives to perform the task of Charter change because of their vested interests including “political dynasties.” That is an opinion and one that can be expressed adequately without having to resort to vulgarity. Ditto for the pedigreed Liberal and presidential wanna-be Senator Mar Roxas who could not control himself, and shouted expletives at a rally against Charter change and President GMA.
I don’t know what it is about the season of joy and goodwill that it should bring out the worst in men in such exalted positions. It can only be a presumption of power as ‘moral’ leaders is no longer working, otherwise why the bad words? Where before it would have been sufficient for church authorities to wag their finger and Filipinos docilely followed. Neither are they impressed that just because Roxas is a senator who wants to be the next president, and comes from one of the richest families in the Philippines, Filipinos will clap in glee when he curses in five letter words. Filipinos are growing up politically and want to use their own minds.
I don’t think there is any doubt that the opposition against Charter change is a conflict of interests. Some church people have taken the side of the opposition to keep the status quo in which they flourish but people see through it. All the rest is subterfuge. With churchmen’s participation political conflicts have been overtaken by pious pronouncements.
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“Camera Cafe”, a program of Philippine-based Euro-Asia Media Group, was declared winner of the Best Comedy Program Category at the recent 13th Asian Television Awards 2008 held in Singapore last December 11th.
Asian Television Awards was established to recognize and reward programming and production excellence in the Asian television industry. Hosting the program was Veronica Pedrosa of Al-Jazeera. It is held every December, and draws about 1,400 entries each year from a wide range of broadcasters, including free-to-air TV stations and pay-TV platforms as well as many independent production houses in Asia.
Henri De Lorme, CEO of Euro-Asia Media Group said “Nothing compares to winning your first award...competing with the best television programs in the Asian region! This is our first year of broadcast of Camera Cafe in the Philippines...we are truly humbled by the recognition.”
De Lorme and partners, Jean Yves Robin and Louis Paul Heussaff, through this column, would like to thank everyone from their production team — director, scriptwriters, production staff — and its outstanding lineup of cast and guests who make every episode of Camera Cafe!
They also would like to thank network partners GMA 7 and QTV 11, advertisers and sponsors like Nescafe, and the agencies for their continued support of the program and all the viewers of Camera Cafe in the Philippines!
“Camera Cafe” airs in over 50 countries worldwide. In the Philippines, “Camera Cafe” is produced by Euro-Asia Media Group, the Asian division of CALT International. The program’s first broadcast was in Oct. 7, 2007. Now on its 5th season, “Camera Cafe” airs daily at GMA 7 and QTV 11.