A member of the House of Representatives said Malacañang’s “open defiance” of the tribunal could lead to a constitutional crisis with “grievous consequences,” but a senator said the fear of such a crisis was overblown.
Taking too long
The Aquino administration has itself to blame for Arroyo’s attempts to leave the country posthaste, since it had been slow to hale her to court, according to militant and cause-oriented groups.
While condemning Arroyo’s attempts to leave the country and supporting moves to block her flight, Pagbabago! People’s Movement for Change said Malacañang should be faulted for giving Arroyo the chance to go.
Pagbabago spokesperson Fr. Joe Dizon said the Aquino administration has not fulfilled its promise to make Arroyo accountable for her alleged sins.
Dizon also noted that in contrast, former President Joseph Estrada was arrested and detained just three months after being ousted from office in 2001. Estrada was eventually convicted of plunder, and subsequently pardoned.
“At the end of the day, Malacañang is to blame on why the Arroyos were able to maneuver their way around the justice system,” Dizon said.
Men of the cloth
Wednesday morning saw activist priest Roberto Reyes holding an “indignation” Mass in front of the high court’s building in Manila and calling justices “evil pharisees” and “blind hypocrites.” The Mass was attended by some 20 people from three different advocacy groups.
Other religious leaders, including two archbishops, however, sided with the Supreme Court.
Respect SC decision
Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma urged the Aquino administration to respect the tribunal’s decision, saying that every Filipino has the obligation to follow the Constitution.
“We should respect and follow the processes and laws in our country [and] if that is what the Supreme Court said, we should bow to that,” Ledesma said over Church-run Radio Veritas.
Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz, a staunch critic of Arroyo when she was the President, said the Supreme Court decision was fair. “Let her go now and have her cure,” he said, referring to Arroyo, who is suffering from a bone disease.
Karma
Maguindanao Governor Esmael “Toto” Mangudadatu said Arroyo should be treated by doctors in the country and not be allowed to leave because she was facing serious charges ranging from electoral fraud to plunder.
“This is her karma,” Mangudadatu said on the sidelines of the hearing on the Maguindanao massacre case at Camp Bagong Diwa, Bicutan, Taguig City.
Jun Lozada
Joining the press conference and march rally were corruption whistle-blower Jun Lozada, and advocacy groups Black and White Movement, Onward Malinis na Gobyerno, Mabuting Pilipino, Bangsa, People Power Volunteers for Reform and Movement for Advancement of Student Power.
Reiterating the opinion of orthopedic surgeon Leo Olarte, who was also present at the press conference, Hontiveros said Arroyo’s bone condition was improving and can be treated in the Philippines.
“The public needs to closely guard the Arroyos so they do not escape. They already attempted last night, I am sure they will try this every day. They must face their more than 20 cases of fraud and plunder,” Hontiveros said.
Akbayan gave full support for the Bureau of Immigration and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima for preventing the Arroyos from leaving the country. “[De Lima] showed courage … stood for what was right,” Hontiveros said.
Lame excuse
Fr. Ranhilio Aquino, dean of the Graduate School of Law of San Beda College, branded as “patently lame” De Lima’s “excuse” that the Arroyos could not leave just yet because she had yet to file a motion for reconsideration with the high court.
“The Supreme Court’s TRO is very clear,” Aquino said over Radio Veritas. “[It] said it was immediately executory [so] the moment she heard the news, it was her duty to check with the Supreme Court whether or not a TRO had in fact been issued,” he added.
Legal showdown
The priest said the justice secretary had no intention of abiding by the judgment of the Supreme Court, a situation that he described as “extremely shameful for a lawyer.”
But Bayan Muna Representative Teodor Casiño said he was supporting De Lima in using everything at her disposal to prevent Arroyo from leaving, to the point of courting a legal showdown with the high court.
“De Lima is well within her rights to exhaust all legal and administrative remedies to uphold the interest of justice within the bounds of due process and human rights,” Casiño said.
Move to emasculate court
Senator Joker Arroyo said the issue of the former President’s medical condition and right to travel were “merely incidental when compared to the executive branch’s move to emasculate and damage the Supreme Court, as it insidiously asserts its supremacy over the Supreme Court.”
He assailed De Lima for “openly defying” the court order.
Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago said a constitutional crisis was “very clearly a real danger that our country is facing.”
“Are we going to support the Supreme Court or shall we support the executive branch versus the Supreme Court? It’s really headed for disaster. We’re very, very near the edge of the cliff and we might all go tumbling down if we do not put a break to all of these proceedings,” she told reporters.
Aghast
Santiago said she was “aghast” at De Lima’s defiance.
“As a lawyer, I never thought I would see the day when a Cabinet member would deliberately, with all due consideration, refuse to obey an order of the Supreme Court.”
Senator Franklin Drilon downplayed the fear of a constitutional crisis. “I don’t see any constitutional crisis happening,” he told reporters.
At the House of Representatives, Minority Leader Edcel Lagman said it was incumbent on President Aquino to prevent a constitutional crisis.
Lagman noted that the while the military was sworn to uphold the Constitution, some elements could take advantage of the situation.
Pampanga mayors
Agitated by the developments, many mayors of Pampanga, Arroyo’s home province, are calling for a big Kapampangan rally in front of the Department of Justice office in Manila, according to Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo.
But Pelayo, president of the Pampanga Mayors League, said he and some cooler heads at the PML had asked the mayors to remain calm and pray so the administration would treat Arroyo, now a representative of Pampanga’s second district, better.
Former Vice Governor Cielo Macapagal-Salgado said Mr. Aquino should let her half-sister seek treatment abroad not only because the Supreme Court had allowed her to travel but also because of her medical condition.
“I’m so sad. I’m so worried,” Salgado said.
In a hurry
In Tagum City in Davao del Norte province, Mayor Rey Uy said the Bureau of Immigration was right in preventing the former President from leaving because she was facing many charges.
“She’s in a hurry to leave and avoid prosecution. She should be jailed,” Uy said.
In Butuan City, law professor James Reserva said under a democratic form of government, the executive department was duty bound to heed and respect decisions rendered by the highest court of the land. With reports from Leila B. Salaverria, Cynthia D. Balana, Gil Cabacungan Jr., Philip C. Tubeza, and Jerome Aning in Manila; Yolanda Sotelo, Inquirer Northern Luzon; Jun Malig and Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon; and Germelina Lacorte, Frinston Lim, Franklin Caliguid, Inquirer Mindanao