Oh oh, here comes Hubert

I am not comfortable with the sudden stirring to life of the Hubert Webb case. Having hibernated for so long, I find it disconcerting that its resurrection in the public consciousness should happen so close to the amnesty granted by Noynoy Aquino to Antonio Trillanes.

 Or, for that matter, to Noynoy's handling of the Incident Investigation Review Committee report on the August 23 hostage-taking fiasco that led to the deaths of several Chinese tourists that temporarily soured Philippine relations with China.

 He created the IIRC as a face-saving measure in light of the global shame the Philippines suffered in mishandling the hostage crisis. But when the IIRC submitted its report and it was not to his liking, he promptly mangled it to save some friends to the embarrassment of the committee. 

You see, Noynoy cut his political teeth on the notion that people power is superior to established democratic processes and believes that it should be exercised at every opportunity just because for one moment in our history it worked with his mother.

 Indeed, while he was elected popularly, he was never shy about a preference for mob rule over orderly process if it suits his interests. During the campaign, he in fact threatened to launch people power if, in his opinion, he felt he was cheated.

 Then came his threat not to recognize the Chief Justice of the Philippines just because he was appointed by his political enemy. This nearly drove the entire country to a costly crisis. Luckily he eventually backed down, no doubt convinced of the folly of his own action.

 His creation of a Truth Commission despite the existence of appropriate judicial bodies to handle his personal interests also shows a dangerous bent to get whatever he wants even if he has to carve a different path outside established norms to get it.

 This obstinate refusal to be restrained by established order to get back at his enemies is matched only by his obstinate insistence to defy established order to protect or reward his friends.

 Just look at how he has created a curious creature called the Presidential Communications Group out of what was once the Office of the Press Secretary, and to have it headed not by one secretary but three, in order to please everybody.

 Take a look also at how he mangled and distorted the important Department of Interior and Local Government by having it headed by a secretary who exercise only half the power, giving the other half to an undersecretary who happens to be a longtime favorite buddy.

 And this is why I am not comfortable with the sudden stirring in the Hubert Webb case. I am not saying Noynoy is going to dip his hands into this case. But I am uncomfortable because its reemergence comes at a time when it is difficult to trust the motives behind Noynoy's actions.

 For those who have forgotten, or are too young to remember, Hubert is one of those young men convicted in connection with the infamous Vizconde Massacre, and is a brother to Pinky Webb, one of the mainstay hosts at ANC, the all-news channel of the Lopez-owned ABS-CBN.

 Pinky used to partner with Ricky Carandang, whose anti-Arroyo views naturally led him to the doorstep of Aquino, for whom he now opted to serve as one of the three secretaries in that curious Presidential Communications Group I talked about earlier.

 While Ricky was with ANC, it became sort of inevitable for Pinky to share at least some of his anti-Arroyo views. After all, same-show hosts normally do not contradict each other. And being anti-Arroyo, it becomes quite easy to become pro-Aquino.

 If Noynoy granted Trillanes amnesty because he rebelled against Arroyo, created three chiefs for one office to please all three, shared the powers of a department to benefit a friend, and altered a report to exculpate more friends, one wonders what else he is capable of doing.