Toby Tiangco: Hero or heel?

Despite strong admonition by many people including his colleagues in Congress, Navotas Representative Toby Tiangco went ahead and testified in the ongoing impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona. His “defiance” plus the revelations he made when he took the witness stand made Tiangco a hero in the eyes of some Filipinos, with many expressing instant adulation for the young legislator’s bravery in coming out with what he says is the truth as far as the impeachment process is concerned. 

On the other hand, a number of people most especially his colleagues were not too happy with Tiangco, with some branding him a “traitor.” House majority leader Boyet Gonzales even went as far as to threaten — or rather, “remind” the Navotas legislator that he could face an ethics case for publicly discussing something that should have been kept within the halls of Congress. Observers have noted though that Tiangco does not appear daunted, even daring Gonzales to file the case in a classic display of the Filipino adage of “habang pinipigil, lalong nanggigigil” (loosely translated as the more you forbid him, the more determined he becomes).

Not that Toby’s revelations were new, since he simply repeated what he already said during a privilege speech last December, where he accused the House leadership of practically ramming the impeachment complaint down the legislators’ throats — with the pork barrel dangled either as an incentive for those who will vote or a sword of Damocles hanging over the heads of those who will not sign. Tiangco also disclosed that the pork barrel funds of congressmen who refused to sign the impeachment complaint against former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez were either delayed or withheld. To be fair, though, Toby did admit that Speaker Sonny Belmonte said that it was up to the Congressmen to sign the impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Corona or not. This was reiterated and confirmed by San Juan Congressman JV Ejercito who said Speaker Belmonte did not force anyone to sign. 

In any case, the pork barrel (which everyone knows has gone through a lot of euphemisms in the past from Countrywide Development Fund to the current Priority Development Assistance Fund) was a touchy issue because it hinted of the coercive power of the purse — in this case wielded by the Executive — over the power of the sword vested upon Congress with its legislative mandate. Pork barrel politics — as some observers describe the delicate balancing act marked by quid pro quos involving the two co-equal branches of government — has been going on since the time of Manuel Quezon, with the practice (and the terminology) originating from American politics, where the pork barrel system was used as a reward and pay off for political debts.

But while Congressmen had the sole discretionary power over their pork in the beginning, things changed when the power to control the purse became gradually concentrated on the president. This being so, those who got a fatter chunk of the pork were expected to support the president’s pet legislations and other initiatives. As a matter of fact, Gloria Arroyo successfully used the power of the pork to quash any attempt to impeach her — dispensing the PDAF to those who stuck with her but withholding the funds to those who were openly critical of her presidency.

This was in stark contrast with her predecessor Joseph Estrada who, during his impeachment trial, never contemplated withholding the funds of anti-Erap congressmen (or senators) because he knew it was the constituents who would suffer. Having been a local government official himself, Erap knew what it was like if funds were not made available for important projects critical to the lives of local residents, like roads, bridges and other infrastructure. 

Tiangco (who actually joined Estrada’s Partido ng Masang Pilipino in 2001 at the time of Erap’s impeachment unlike those who abandoned the party) has been accused by critics of using the impeachment to create a buzz and make a name for himself because he is eyeing a higher office. Toby was quick to deny this accusation (which ironically is also the same one thrown against some members of the prosecution panel as well as rabid anti-Corona personalities) saying he intends to run for re-election as congressman of Navotas — where he has done very well or so I am told, transforming what used to be a flood-prone city into one of the cleanest and greenest in the metropolis.

What is seemingly clear is that Toby Tiangco has managed to catch the attention of Filipinos who have started to lose interest in the ongoing impeachment trial of Renato Corona, in the process earning both praises and condemnation for his courageous — but some say pointless — decision to take the witness stand and say what he said, refusing to back off and buckle down despite potentially serious consequences. So is this guy for real or is he just trying to get additional media mileage? Or, in the words of our feisty senator, Miriam Defensor Santiago — is he a hero or a heel? The answer is really up to the Filipino public.

*      *      *

The Rotary Club of Manila — the oldest in Asia, of which I am a member — honored The Philippine STAR with the Tourism award for print media for its contribution in promoting our tourism industry. My congratulations to STAR President & CEO Miguel Belmonte. Hopefully this summer Filipinos will visit and appreciate the natural wonders of our country. One thing is certain — Palawan is in fact a top eco-tourism destination in this country. Environmentalist Gina Lopez has a point — we should keep Palawan out of the mining business.

*      *      *

E-mail: [email protected]