Skip to main content

Political commentary1: The rule of law and the current Philippine crisis

Caveat lector. Political commentary ahead. Allusions to English History ahead. (Sorry, I am a keen student of English constitutional history!)


Now that Mrs Aquino has said her piece three time, what the public likes to know and Mrs Aquino should clearly say so is who advised her to take this “GMA please resign” stand. Obviously Mrs Gloria Arroyo is unlikely to stand down. Now that Mr Fidel V Ramos has literally saved Mrs Arroyo’s presidency, the chances of her resigning is nil. Mr Ramos has emerged as the de facto prime minister or better yet President Protector. Doesn’t this sound like Lord Protector Oliver Cromwell seizing the Crown but not wearing it? As long as Mr Ramos won't put the crown on his head, he is still within the bounds of the law.

Our own Ollie Cromwell should say to Mrs Aquino and her fratres in politics to at least shut up and respect the rule of law. Mrs Aquino by demanding Mrs Arroyo’s resignation as in the words of Thomas More himself, is cutting down every law that holds our Republic like trees by the wayside. In our case this is the Constitution she herself has planted. Does Mrs Aquino realize the that the Devil will have no place to hide? Is she prepared for the chaos that will ensue? At least Thomas More wisely realized that prayers alone cannot govern a nation. To which Cardinal Wolsey is said to have wittly remarked "I'd like to see you when you try." More gave the Devil the benefit of law for his own safety’s sake.

I write in allusion but the moral here is that if we disregard the rule of law and this is because of our bad conscience, we lead our country on a short route to chaos. If we want Mrs Arroyo out, let her be impeached and proven guilty by the Senate as what the law requires.

Cromwell went to Parliament took the key and locked the door. As Parliament was ruled by bickering and corrupt MPs, before he locked the door, Cromwell spoke his piece. “In the name of God, go!”

The same can be said for Mrs Aquino and those who call for the President’s resignation.

Popular posts from this blog

Simoun's lamp has been lit, finally.. not by one but by the many!

"So often have we been haunted by the spectre of subversion which, with some fostering, has come to be a positive and real being, whose very name steals our serenity and makes us commit the greatest blunders... If before the reality, instead of changing the fear of one is increased, and the confusion of the other is exacerbated, then they must be left in the hands of time..." Dr Jose Rizal "To the Filipino People and their Government" Jose Rizal dominates the Luneta, which is sacred to the Philippine nation as a place of martyrdom. And many perhaps all of those executed in the Luneta, with the exception of the three Filipino secular priests martyred in 1872, have read Rizal's  El Filibusterismo . Dr Rizal's second novel is a darker and more sinister one that its prequel but has much significance across the century and more after it was published for it preaches the need for revolution with caveats,  which are when the time is right and who will in...
Post a Comment
Read more

How should we remember General Antonio Luna?

Well it seems with that proposal to rename Camp Aguinaldo to Camp Antonio Luna in time for National Heroes Day has generated a lot of social media buzz. We really have to really understand our national heroes. Antonio Luna was a remarkable personality but like all of us was flawed. He likely would be an academic had the revolution not intervened. He would have been the first Dean of a College of Science of the Philippine University had the nation made the transition to indepe ndence in a peaceful manner. That was recognized by the American College of Pharmacy when they feted Dr Luna on what would have been his 60th birthday noting his work in combating malaria. But that was not to be. He became a soldier. General Luna was for a professional military within the bounds of the constitution. Perhaps that is the biggest sign of contradiction for today. Please answer the question: Would President Duterte (or a President Aquino, Marcos, Arroyo, Quezon etc) have a General Luna as his c...
Post a Comment
Read more

Marikina River and the "janitor" fish

My newest environmental science research project is to determine the evolutionary biology of invasion by the "janitor fish" in Marikina River. Today we made our first survey and collections. Marikina River is the"greenest"in Metro Manila but that is just on the surface. One master's student is doing her thesis on biotic integrity and a volunteer MD is working on the project too. The "janitor fish (Pterygoplichthys sp) is the dominant fish now in the river,displacing traditional Marikina food fishes such as dalag and hito. The fish are collected and left to rot on the riverbanks. Despite this, there is still some subsistence fishing on the river. The highest densities of the fish are observed near sewage outfalls where they find food to eat. It is likely that the fish can be controlled if we can clean up the river! BTW the name "janitor fish" insults janitors. The fish thrive in dirty rivers and don't clean them up. Janitors on the other hand, ...
Post a Comment
Read more