WHEN President Aquino III addressed the justice summit recently at the Manila Hotel, he attacked the Supreme Court for its alleged partiality toward former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in connection with the motion she filed to be allowed to leave the country and seek medical help amid the election and plunder charges that have been filed against her by the new administration.
“There is no doubt as to the gravity of your task. Your decisions and the steps you take have implications integral to our democracy,” Aquino said. Present in the summit was Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Aquino asked the SC to “reflect” on Article 2, Section 1 of the Constitution: “Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them.”
He said since he was elected by the people, he was accountable to their “sovereign will.”
“This is why, from the moment I assumed office, we have been laying the groundwork to get to the bottom of the allegations of corruption against the past administration…,” he said.
The president ended with, “I have no intention of violating my sworn oath; I have no intention of failing the Filipino people…under one unifying aspiration: To serve and uphold the interests of the nation.”
Corona took the President’s attacks calmly.
“Just let it be. It’s almost Christmas. Let’s think of peace,” Corona said in an article from the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
To heal the rift between the President and Corona, Catholic bishops have offered to mediate. Even lawmakers admit that it is only the Church that can forge a truce between the two most powerful persons in the country.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said the bishops are indeed, the “peacemakers.”
Corona and Aquino said they’re willing to hold “peace-talks.” It is a good thing that both parties are willing to smoke the peace pipe.
I just hope no one accuses the Church of meddling.
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With the recent results of the civil engineering board exams, I would like to congratulate not only the new Thomasian engineers who made it, but also my alma mater, the Catanduanes State Colleges (CSC), which made it to the list of top-performing schools.
I am proud of this “little known school” where my uncle, Pedro Arcilla Jr., is dean of engineering.
Again, congratulations for a job well done!
