Arroyo panicked by Senate probe of Garci tapes Neal Cruz Inquirer
August 31, 2007
MANILA, Philippines -- Malacañang is obviously panicked by the reopening by the Senate of the investigation of the “Hello, Garci” tapes. The moment Sen. Panfilo Lacson presented T/Sgt. Vidal Doble Jr., former Armed Forces intelligence agent, to testify on the tapes, the administration immediately unleashed the heavy artillery against the opposition.
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo slammed “the titans of hate” in a speech. Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said Malacañang would invoke again Executive Order 464 (which has already been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court) to prevent Cabinet and military officials from testifying. Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez tried to scare Lacson by threatening to file charges against those mentioned in the Leandro Aragoncillo case in the United States (among those prominently mentioned was Lacson). Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye called on the Senate to drop the Garci case and work on 24 priority bills instead. AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon and Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago tried to discredit the star witness, Doble himself. Presidential Legal Adviser Sergio Apostol said Doble could be charged with perjury if he testified.
In the Senate, administration senators tried to scare their opposition colleagues into not playing the wiretapped tapes by warning that the Anti-Wiretapping Law prohibits individuals from possessing and replaying wiretapped conversations. Senators who listen to the tapes, they warned, can be charged and, if found guilty, perpetually disqualified from public office.
And the known mouthpieces of the administration, like Gov. Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar, weighed in with calls to the Senate to drop the case and “move on.”
Malacañang obviously issued marching orders to its storm troopers to prevent the reinvestigation of the Garci tapes at all costs.
Why is Malacañang deathly afraid of an investigation of the Garci scandal? Obviously, it is afraid that the truth may come out.
Why would anyone be afraid of the truth? Because it will show, officially and conclusively, that Ms Arroyo cheated Fernando Poe Jr. out of Malacañang in the 2004 presidential election with the help of "Garci" -- Election Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano.
Actually, most Filipinos are already convinced that Ms Arroyo cheated. To them, Ms Arroyo is a fake president, a usurper. Ms Arroyo herself almost confessed in that famous television mea culpa. She indirectly admitted talking to Garci and apologized to the Filipino people but stopped short of admitting the two of them cheated.
She escaped impeachment by the skin of her teeth that time. It was only through shameless maneuvering and politicking in the House of Representatives that Ms Arroyo did not get the same boot that she used to kick her predecessor, President Joseph Estrada, out of office. She may not be so lucky this time.
But I am surprised, as many other Filipinos are, at the administration senators, including Sen. Joker Arroyo. Never mind Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Richard Gordon who are known Macapgal-Arroyo lovers. But Senator Arroyo? He had a reputation of being independent (and indeed sold himself in the last elections as an “independent” senator), so what happened to him? Many people were dismayed by his arguments when he and other administration senators tried to prevent the reinvestigation of the Garci scandal.
“We cannot at this late stage of our profession be accused of being ignorant of the law not only as legislators but also as lawyers,” Arroyo said. He must be joking. What these supposedly upright and respectable leaders of our country are trying to do is hide the truth from the people.
I personally have an open mind about the guilt of Ms Arroyo but the Filipino people who voted these senators into office deserve to know the truth. In fact, they are asking for it. And for as long as the truth is hidden, Ms Arroyo’s presidency will be unstable. She will not have any peace of mind. She cannot govern well because her priority is to defend herself, knowing that her legitimacy is suspect and that many do not accept her presidency. Most of her efforts will be wasted on pleasing the military, her No. 1 protector, and rewarding her political allies to get their continued loyalty.
She wastes her time (and our taxes) by traveling all over the world and all over the country instead of staying in Malacañang to run the government and see to it that her subordinates also do their jobs properly. She is afraid to curb graft and corruption even if it is already staring her in the face lest those officials she would punish would help topple her. Let’s admit it, she is a lame duck, a damaged President. She was already a lame duck the moment the Garci scandal broke out and the sooner she limps away the better for us.
For as long as there is no closure to the Garci controversy, she will continue to behave the same way and govern as badly. So let’s go on with the investigation and give her a clean bill of health if she is innocent. But if she is guilty, say so. Then she can ask the people for forgiveness and the Filipinos, being a forgiving people, may just do that. Then we will have peace and quiet at last.
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Today’s joke: Three contractors were asked for their fees to repair a White House gate.
American contractor: I’ll charge $900 -- $500 for labor, $300 for materials and $100 for me.
Mexican: I’ll charge $700 -- $400 for labor, $200 for materials and $100 for me.
Filipino: I’ll charge $2,700.
White House official: Why so expensive?
Filipino: $1,000 for me, $1,000 for you, and $700 for the Mexican to do the job.
Guess who got the contract.
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