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January 13, 2009

Strategic Dismembering

It is as if someone took a really dull knife and starting hacking away at parts of one's body--not to kill but to maim, perhaps temporarily but hopefully permanently. That is how I feel when I read and hear the news stories about the way that institutions in this country are being dismembered.

The kennel (este the House of Representatives) came first. The coup d'etat that replaced Jose De Venecia Jr. with Prospero Nograles. Then the Court of Appeals with the Sabio-Roxas-Villarama scandal involving Meralco and GSIS; this resulted in the suspension of Sabio, the dismissal of Roxas and the lid being blown off what was previously only an open secret within the trade, este the profession of lawyering. Then the Senate coup d'etat, replacing Manny Villar with Juan Ponce Enrile. Then the PDEA and DOJ bribery issue, with Gloria taking the side of PDEA and ordering preventive suspensions for one Undersecretary (looks guilty), the Chief State Prosecutor (looks innocent but clueless), several state prosecutors and once again, the lid being blown off what was previously only an open secret within the trade of lawyering--that if you're resourceful enough, you can get the decision you really want. Now, the Supreme Court, with the threat of impeaching the Chief Justice and the reality that Gloria will get to appoint seven Justices before 2010.

All through it all, the people are too numb to scream in pain as parts of this body, especially parts that insure accountability now and in the future (especially after Gloria leaves Malacanang) are strategically dismembered, discredited or simply disregarded.

The greatest danger now is not that Gloria still remains in power, it is that she might remain in power by proxy even after she leaves Malacanang.

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