New Left Movement Emerging in China Could Challenge United States: is my Arab News column for this week. The other big news of course is the release of Mr. Tarongoy, on which Punzi has this scathing opinion. Punzi, incidentally, goes from strength to strength, read his lecture on Unlawful Means of Publication and Unlawful Utterances.
Justice Cecilia Munoz Palma has issued a statement on the controversy hounding the President. The statement, while it appeared in Manila Standard Today, doesn’t appear online, so I’ll just have to summarize it. Basically she says the country went wrong in ousting Estrada in 2001, and that it will go wrong if it choses any option other than impeachment for settling the issues raised concerning the President:
…I believe we are going through, for the second time in this decade, a crucial test of the strength of our will to be guided by the rule of law as envisioned in the 1987 Constitution… There is only one avenue of action and that is the process of impeachment as provided for in the 1987 Constitution… Whether the supposed offense, the alleged acts constitute impeachable offense or whether it can stand on the so-called hearsay evidence, are matters which need to be looked into by the proper constitutional body and not by the personal views of leaders in government and the private sector… Let us grab the bull by its horns rather than be dragged into a limbo of suspicions, disbelief, social discontent, mistrust, even violence and instability… We as citizens living under the Rule of Law and enjoying the benefits of republicanism are bound to respect, support it, not withstanding our own personal views.
She believes her stand reflects an authentic regard for the rule of law; I just wonder why her statement hasn’t appeared in the other papers. She has been consistent in her position on issues concerning the constitution, and therefore deserving of serious consideration.
Emil Jurado of the same paper takes a jab at “self-proclaimed analysts” and says “Gloriagate” is both moral and legal as an issue – but his money is on the legal and not moral, aspect. Tony Abaya disagrees, and says Bro. Eddie Villanueva is the man to watch (and has interesting speculations on who might constitute a ruling junta). In THE DAILY TRIBUNE On the Web!: former Sen. Maceda proves just how old he is with this suggestion:
Easy proof. With persistent reports that Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Virgilio Garcillano has left the country through the southern backdoor, the burden of proof now shifts to his wife who claims “Garci†is still in the Philippines.
One simple trick will do it, Mrs. Garcillano. Have a picture of yourself and Garci taken reading today’s newspaper, then immediately release it yourself, after the one-hour photo developing.
He’s obviously never heard of the digital camera.
Incidentally, in its analysis section, the Tribune suggests that Capitalism has done GMA in. Paying tribute to the late Teddy Benigno, the piece uses this charming phrase: “it is free trade that is bringing the ship that is the Republic of the Philippines to the bottom of a bottomless abyss.” The bottom of a bottomless abyss must indeed be quite deep -so deep as to, well, defy logic!
Inq7.net publishes the most-read columnists and top stories which suggests showbiz news is actually facing competition from political news.
blogcritics.org which I’ve recently joined, has been selected by AlwaysOn and Technorati as one of the AO/Technorati Open Media 100, the “power list of bloggers, social networkers, tool smiths, and investors leading the Open Media Revolution.” Interesting stuff indeed!
From batesline.com an interesting link to a country study on the Philippines which has a good summary of the anti-Marcos opposition, in which Cardinal Sin played a crucial role.
And for a little frightening but supposedly true comic relief, an online storybook: The Worm Within.
