Delusional

The only way Mar Roxas can be in power beyond 2016 is for Noynoy Aquino to remain in power.

If the political aristocrats of the LP wanted to fly a trial balloon, they should have asked someone else other than Roxas to release it. Floundering in the pre-election surveys, he has too much vested interest in postponing elections by means fair or foul.

It is a stupid idea to begin with. Toby Tiangco was correct in describing the proposal as “delusional.”

If, as suspected, previous presidents tried to extend their stay in office, they at least tried to prepare the ground for it by pushing for constitutional change. Now, with nothing more than imperious whim, Roxas and his cabal want the Constitution simply trampled.

From his first day in power, Aquino rejected every proposal for constitutional reform. Now he is a prisoner of its unmistakable dictate the President of the Republic serves only a single six-year term.

When Gina Lopez, an ardent Aquino supporter, released a statement in defense of her President in the face of the Supreme Court’s adverse ruling, she described the Constitution as a mere “piece of paper.” The slip shows.

There is a fanatical bunch of yellows out there with no grasp of constitutionalism. This is a dangerous and irresponsible bunch. The future of our democracy cannot be entrusted to them.

Mar Roxas just insinuated himself into the ranks of this reckless bunch willing to reduce the Charter to shreds in pursuit of narrow political interests. Shame on him.

He extends the dreadful string of political projects of the Aquino administration aimed at weakening the constitutional order and undermining the integrity of our institutions.

First Aquino refused to be sworn into office by the Chief Justice. Then, the ruling clique forced out the sitting Ombudsman from office by the sheer force of propaganda. Appointees with fixed terms, including the sitting chair of the COA, were unceremoniously terminated and replaced with lackeys. For the flimsiest reasons, the Chief Justice was impeached. The legislature was coopted with astounding amounts of pork. Then tens of billions were whimsically realigned through the DAP mechanism to reward partisan support — a ploy declared unconstitutional.

A new culture of impunity towards our institutions took root in just four years. These days, even a two-cent congressman finds it so easy to threaten the Chief Justice with impeachment because the latter insists on the fiscal autonomy of the judiciary.

Whatever possessed Mar Roxas to raise the specter of an extended Aquino term — an idea quickly seconded by the army of trolls under his employ?

True, the surveys show him sinking by the day. Beyond him, the LP has no one else. It is a party of opportunists, not of leaders. It has a shallow bench.

That is not an excuse to suggest the Constitution be trashed.

Palace spokesman Sonny Coloma intoned that President Aquino is not intending to stay a day beyond his term. The way he says it, it seems he wants us to be thankful the President is so constitutionally disposed.

The fact is Aquino has no choice.

After all the scandals that have flowed under the bridge, and the ones forthcoming that threaten to wreck it, there is no plausible path to term extension. Every group and every institution that constitutes our civil society will rise to block any attempt to do so.

Despite all our follies as a people, notwithstanding the treachery of our politicians, beyond all the calamities that befell us, the rule of law is our shining asset.

Already, some of Aquino’s non-LP allies have chorused that term extension is unconstitutional and is therefore out of the question. The Supreme Court will shoot it down. The churches will declare it immoral. The people’s organizations will fill the streets. If Aquino stays in the Palace a minute beyond his term, there will be tanks at the gates.   

Coloma tries to make fools of us all by saying Roxas, in saying what he did, merely exercises his freedom of speech.

That is totally idiotic. Roxas is a senior government official. There are clear limits to what he may utter in public. He cannot encourage citizens to defy the Constitution.

The man, we will recall, was penalized by Wack Wack golf club for uttering obscenities at the powerless caddies. He must not be allowed to go without reprimand for insulting our constitutional order.

Freedom of speech ends where civic responsibility begins. Hating the Constitution is part of hate speech that needs to be curtailed. This man Roxas, whose behavior gets stranger by the day, ought to be reprimanded.

Besides, Aquino dislikes his job so much he earnestly counts the days to the end of his term. In every other speech, the last SONA included, he whines about how difficult this job is. His disappearing acts have become more frequent. He just wants to go home to Times Street.

Pity the man. He did not want the job. He was pushed into it without much thought. There are increasing indications he has switched to retirement mode.

Just let him go at the appointed time. Do not haunt his dreams with the thought of term extension. Do not disturb his sleep with the crazy ideas Mar Roxas conjures.

Really, someone should stop Roxas from hanging the rope of term extension on the President’s neck and then swinging from it to avoid falling into the abyss. This last insane idea convinces us he deserves the plunge.