Agony in the garden

The starting line up for Philippine team 2016 is now almost completely substituted. Only the point guard remains in the game and he’s getting tired.

We began with Aquilino Pimentel III and Pantaleon Alvarez at the wings and Ma. Lourdes Sereno at center. With Leonor Robredo as 2nd guard and Rodrigo Roa Duterte at point, it was a formidable first five. Pimentel, Alvarez and Sereno are gone, all gobbled up by their own institutions. Robredo was slapped with a technical before the game even started.

PRRD is the last man standing yet, for sure, he is not feeling any separation anxiety. From day one, he has been a stand alone quantity. Pimentel and Alvarez shone from his reflected light. He had no attachments to Sereno and Robredo. And there is no realistic scenario where he would be taken out by his own men (a majority of his Cabinet declaring him unable to discharge the powers and duties of his office).

But the President has tickled the public’s fancy playing the part of a frustrated strong man. Though society has become inured to his periodic existential outbursts, this last one on surrendering to corruption is gaining traction because of the twists and subplots in its implications.

Sabotage? For a man like PRRD to consider giving up, it shows that the problem that stumps him is truly pervasive. It also means a lack of confidence in his own ability and patience to solve it. This is quite revealing considering the milieu in which he made the statement: the Armed Forces health services fiasco; the continuing investigation by the Senate and the Ombudsman of the Department of Tourism ad placements; the problematic Nayong Pilipino contract, among others. The President ended up firing his own people. What does it say about his leadership if his own officials refuse to toe the line?

But he won’t give up if it means handing the reins to Vice President Robredo. Once again, the President availed of the option to air his personal sentiments about Robredo’s, as well as Senator Bongbong Marcos’s, capacity to lead. Well, its his prerogative. Not even beggars can be denied the right to speak their opinions.

But this is really an arrow shot in the air that goes nowhere but down. Until Congress can manage a draft constitution which revises the order of Presidential succession and the same is ratified by we the people, the Vice President will still be the constitutional successor. Whoever he or she may be.

Sanity restored. And then he floats the Junta idea which Secretary Ano of the Department of the Interior and Local Government mercifully downplayed. As Sec. Ano, a former AFP Chief of Staff, clarified, there is no existing condition that would warrant the non-democratic and unconstitutional military junta scenario.

What’s odd about PRRD’s junta remark is that he made the same out of exasperation over the unmitigated corruption that he hates. But among the sources that triggered his frustration was the corruption reported by his own Chief of Staff General Carlito Galvez as existing within the AFP. Ok, the President must be really tired.

Descent to the macabre. The Philippine National Police arrested lawyers of a Makati Bar whose “crime” was to stand witness to the service of a search warrant. As counsel of the property owners, these young attorneys had the legal right to be present. By explicit provision of the rules of court, the search of private premises must be done in the presence of at least two witnesses.

Mr. Jan Vincent Soliven (a graduate from my time as Dean of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila College of Law), Ms. Lenie Rocha and Mr. Ronald Alarkon are members of the Bar and officers of the Court. They were docile observers, taking down notes and photographing the contents of locked cabinets forced open. Their attendance was clearly not to question the authority of the high ranking officers of the Southern Police District and the NCRPO, led by no less than Chief Superintendent Guillermo Eleazar. The presence of such high profile law enforcement personalities guaranteed fully armed entourages of operatives and accompanying media caravans. Who would believe that these young lawyers would comport themselves in any way remotely approaching arrogance before such overwhelming force? At best, their presence at the venue would serve as a deterrent to possible evidence planting, a phenomenon not entirely unknown in these situations.

Challenged by the Police, they stood their ground. They had every right to practice their profession, specially in the crucible in which their clients’ interests as well as the administration of justice was being tested. For this, they were accused of “obstruction of justice.” This arbitrary arrest and detention is a clear travesty of the rights of these young professionals, an insult to the administration of justice and another overkill by the PNP of their law enforcement powers. They should have welcomed the lawyers’ presence instead of reflexively fearing them and acting from that fear in a manner that interfered with the practice of their sworn duties. The PNP should stop embarrassing their institution. Drop the charges, end the harassment and release these three courageous innocents immediately.

Tidbits. At the Department of Trade and Industry 2018 Regional Competitiveness Summit last Thursday, the City of Manila maintained its national dominance as the 2nd most competitive highly urbanized city in the nation. Its the 2nd consecutive year that Manila has nabbed the top 2 ranking in this category. Manila was No. 1 overall in 2015 and No. 3 in 2016. Manila Mayor Joseph E. Estrada and his team deserve the credit for this unprecedented streak of consistent outstanding performance. The Mayor’s success in turning around the city’s financial standing has enabled the City of Manila to redeem its reputation. Good job, Sir. Congratulations to the people of Manila.