A triumph of justice when injustice abounds?

When the Pasay City Regional Trial Court ordered the arrest of former Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for election sabotage, Department of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima called it “a triumph of justice.” Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino, III also assured the former President of a fair trial. Come now, are these people serious in issuing such statements?

How could the DoJ Secretary hail that move as a triumph of justice when that is only one single case, when all over the nation, we can see, feel or even touch the injustice around us? Remember the saying “One Swallow doesn’t a summer make?” Just because the vengeful Aquino administration got what they’ve always wanted to do, to put the former President under arrest, they declare that this is a triumph of justice.

What about the travesty of justice happening all over the country like the acquittal of the Vizconde massacre, which by the way, the DoJ Secretary was tasked to solve in just a few months and nothing has yet happened in that case? Here at home, we can’t forget the grave injustice done to a fellow member of the Cebu media, when the principal suspect in the attempted killing of my good friend Choy Torralba was acquitted. Because of the so much injustice happening around this country, it has resulted in the rise of many murders of people who no longer want to seek justice within our courts, but the justice of the barrel of a gun.

When a DoJ Secretary deliberately disobeys a TRO signed by the majority of the Supreme Court Justice, I do not call it a triumph of justice. It is a blatant disregard for the constitutionally mandated separation of the three branches of the government, the Executive, the Legislative and the Judiciary. Any law student ought to know that there was something terribly wrong that the DoJ Secretary did when she refused to honor the TRO of the SC.

Meanwhile, talking about the case being filed against the former President, I can smell that this case is very weak because only three people are charged and it is difficult to prove that the sabotage could overturn the election. Mind you, we know too well that many politicians, except a few good ones, would go out of their way to “buy” their seats of power. Where do these politicians get the funds for that exercise? Well, if they belonged to the ruling party, it is the head of the party who usually gives the money during a political caucus.

In the case of the former President, I’m sure that she did not belittle herself by telling those whom the funds were given to cheat in the elections. Rather, it is the politicians who got the bags of money who promised their political leaders that they would trounce their political opponents with a zero vote. We’ve heard that this used to happen even in Danao City during the Marcos years. The same thing is true to the many areas in Mindanao, which are ruled by powerful datus who are the political warlords in their areas.

Meanwhile, I would like to know how can Pres. PNoy assure Pres. Arroyo of a fair trial, when he could not even assure the victims of the Maguindanao massacre of a fair trial? Secondly, the Judiciary is supposedly not under the control of the Executive, hence the President should not be assuring anyone of a fair trial, unless he knows something we folks do not know… like he has a few justices under his pocket?

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As if the Aquino administration did not have a host of problems on its hands, last Friday, we got this story buried deep in the inside pages of The Philippine Star wherein Department of National Defense spokesman Zosimo Paredes made a very dangerous statement at the Rembrandt Hotel in Quezon City saying, “When national security is threatened or at stake, a revolutionary government is an option for the President under the Constitution.” Hmmm why is this fellow allowed to issue such a highly toxic statement at this time huh? Is this the Aquino government’s way of priming the minds of the Filipino people that in case they can no longer hack it, they would declare a Revolutionary government? They are using this term because if they say that they would declare Martial Law, the Aquino government might just collapse on its own folly. Abangan!

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We had lots of fun last Saturday evening at the Soiree Beaujolais 2011 held at the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel, which was jam-packed with so many guests, many of who were expats. Once more our good friend, Marco Polo Plaza Hotel General Manager Hans Hauri, outdid himself over last year’s event. The French food was exceptionally good, as the wine was free-flowing and the French cheese was to die for. The Marco Polo was decorated with anything French; even their grand staircase became the Arc de Triomphe. Vive la Marco Polo!

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