The Judiciary: The last bastion of democracy

A month and a half from now, the Philippines will commemorate the 27th anniversary of the EDSA Revolution, which was originally triggered by the assassination of the late Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino, Jr. If only they left Ninoy alone and alive… perhaps the Marcos Dictatorship would still be here today.  But then this is mere conjecture. EDSA started because of a grave injustice of the Marcos Dictatorship. While there were hundreds if not thousands of human rights victims of the Marcos Dictatorship, somehow Filipinos were apathetic to their plight until the killing of Sen. Ninoy Aquino.

Ninoy’s death started the slogan “Justice for Aquino, Justice for All” (JAJA). Whenever any Marcos Cabinet minister would be seen in a hotel lobby, people would slowly chant, JAJA, beginning with a whisper then almost everyone would join in making a loud chorus in order to embarrass that Marcos official. This happened in many places… all because of the grave injustice that eventually brought down the Marcos Dictatorship.

Today, 27 years from the EDSA Revolt… there is still so much injustice happening around. But what we cannot fathom is that, this time around, it is being perpetrated by an Aquino Presidency. Yes I’m referring to the suspension of Gov. Gwen F. Garcia for six months by Pres. PNoy in an administrative case that should have been over and done with in 120 days.

The best news about this impasse is that the 12th Division of the Court of Appeals (CA) would hold a hearing on this case on Jan.10. Why didn’t the CA issue a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO)? At this point, all I can reckon is that, the CA could be playing politics here. Perhaps they are also scared of the wrath of Pres. Benigno “PNoy” Aquino, III. If at all, the last group of persons who should never be afraid of a powerful President it should be the members of the Judiciary for the Filipino people still believe in their independence over the two other branches of the government… the Legislative and Executive that have already starting to self-destruct.

In another Judicial front, Mr. James Imbong and his wife Lovely-Ann Imbong, the son of Atty. Jo Imbong, one of the fiercest anti-Reproductive Health (RH) Bill fighter and legal counsel of the Catholic Bishop’s Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) filed a case before the Supreme Court questioning the legality of Republic Act. No.10354 or the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012. This is the second phase of the battle we are waging against a foreign law that was introduced to our nation by our rubber stamp Legislature. And there are more joining to file the same case.

I already talked with a Constitutionalists and a judge about the constitutionality of the RH Law… and they all believe that the RH Law could never be declared constitutional. But then as we all know, the members of the Judiciary are just human and are probably scared of the wrath of Pres. PNoy after he had a sitting Chief Justice Renato Corona removed from office.

Right now, the Filipino people has only one hope… that the Judiciary would stand fast and remain independent. They are the last remaining bastions of Philippine Democracy. If they fail to give Justice to the Filipino people because these judges would not dare risk their necks against an oppressive Aquino Regime… then this will drive the Filipino to seek other options. What option will that be could be anything…, which could be revolutionary.

My faithful readers already know my sentiments… that it is time for Cebuanos to rise up against the Tagalogan Republika, which has ruled the Philippines since 1946. Ever since the Philippines got away from our Spanish and American colonizers, an ethnic group called Tagalogs have ruled the Philippines and from being second only to Japan after the end of World War II, we have slid down to the bottom of Asia, bested by city states like Singapore or Hongkong or Taiwan or Malaysia.

As Dr. Jose Rizal correctly pointed out, “Where there are no tyrants, there are no slaves.” What we have in Malacañang today is a hypocritical tyrant who because the 1987 Tita Cory created her Constitution which established a new political elite from the ashes of the Marcos Conjugal Dictatorship and this political elite came from the politicians of pre-Martial Law Era. Today, even a popular Gov. Gwen Garcia decided that she could not make it to the Senate simply because the Senate has become so exclusive, only famous names and their families are allowed to enter.

The Year 2013 has barely begun… and the RH battle and the legal battle of Gov. Garcia take the spotlight in the Judiciary. All eyes now focus on the Judiciary because of the injustice that continues to elude the Filipino people. Other forms of injustices are happening by omission… like the Ombudsman or the Senate not even investigating the luxurious lifestyle of the officials of the Comelec. A great majority of Filipinos still wallow in poverty, but Comelec officials live in luxury. That is a clear case of injustice.

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