Honesty from GMA’s doctors

I think it is proper for doctors of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo who appeared in court to shed light on the real health condition of GMA. Contrary to their assertions of her lawyers, Mrs. Arroyo has been diagnosed by her doctors as recovering from her illness.

Now her lawyers are shifting their strategy from seeking hospital arrest to house arrest. Her critics will find more arguments to push for prison detention.

I expected the doctors to tell the truth to protect their profession and the reputation of St. Luke’s Medical Center. I think the statements of the president of the Phil. Medical Society in a way put pressure on the physicians to be honest about their patient’s condition. The fact that their employer, St. Luke’s Medical Center, is vying to be a top-notch center for medical tourism was also a factor.

The ball is in the hands of the court to decide whether GMA will have to spend time in detention while her case is being heard. Of course, the court has to consider GMA’s personal circumstances if they decide to send her to a prison cell.

I know many people are keen on this scenario because they are interested for the sake of justice or are victims of past abuses of the former president when she was in power. The bottom line is that whoever has committed any wrong against the people must be held accountable for their deeds.

If warranted, a wrongdoer should be sent to jail and not be given special treatment or pardon.

President Aquino should learn a lesson from the way GMA treated and quickly pardoned former president Joseph Estrada for political reasons.

In a way, the revelation of GMA’s doctors about her health proved Justice Secretary Leila de Lima was right in insisting not to allow Congresswoman Arroyo from travelling abroad. The possibility of her and her family escaping accountability was real.

Can you just imagine the embarrassment for the government if De Lima had not stopped her exit?

Who would have been blamed for that fiasco? De Lima would have definitely been the laughing stock among lawyers if she had not put her foot down and taken action to stop the former president from travelling abroad.

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I welcome the recent decision of the Supreme Court that ordered the distribution of the Hacienda Luisita property to the farmers who tilled the land for many years. Basically it was wrong for former president Corazon Cojuangco Aquino not to have the family-owned hacienda covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program that was passed during her presidency.

To avoid the conversion of property under the CARP, a scheme was introduced to distribute shares of stocks to farmers instead of parcel of lands. The Cojuangcos never wanted to part with their property. Some of the farmers had to die before others could finally see the property eventually distributed to many.

Yet the Cojuangcos, because of a very friendly High Court at the time, held a referendum to determine what farmer members really want instead of land distribution.

Finally, the present SC realized that the stock option for farmers failed miserably because it prevented farmers from having control over the land.

President Aquino advised the Cojuangco family to heed the court’s decision, saying the family should be provided with just compensation for the 4,000-hectare property.

The dilemma of the farmers now as an offshoot of the court decision is whether the title of the property should be divided among the farmers or should there be one title only for all the farmers because many are fearful that some would just sell back their shares to the Cojuangcos for lack of financial resources to cultivate their share of the hacienda.

Apparently the Supreme Court decision is not the final answer to agrarian reform in Hacienda Luisita. Farmers have to remain vigilant to protect their rights.