read armida siguion-reyna‘s What people want. she ends with thoughts of people power.
I’ve been told there are lawyers invoking “the rule of law” and the Philippine Constitution, and I understand where they’re coming from. But, and this is a big but for me, what about the rule of justice? What about what people want? Is the law bigger than the people’s will?
When Corazon Aquino took her oath of office as 11th President of the Philippines, Filipinos generally did not demand for a recount of the ballots cast in the 1986 snap elections because four days of revolutionary people power took precedence over legally cast ballots. Marcos loyalists believed that it was still Marcos who won the vote, pero ang kagustuhan ng lumabas na nakararaming taong-bayan sa Edsa I ang namayani, naluklok si Cory bilang pangulo.
When Gloria Arroyo pledged allegiance on the Bible held by then Supreme Court Justice Hilario Davide Jr., with a crowd much, much lesser than the first Edsa, the duo combined to make legal her ascent into the presidency, kesyo President Estrada had by then already resigned and by that resignation rendered the Office of the Chief Executive vacant, kesyo this, kesyo that. Napamukha nilang legal ang illegal and thus managed to overrule the gargantuan mass that made up Edsa III, much, much bigger than what passed off as Edsa II.
Exactly how many times was the law twisted and flouted to make the nation believe that Arroyo won over Fernando Poe Jr. in 2004? Only God in heaven knows. Still, even without knowing for sure how often the woman has manipulated legalities, the law cannot be bigger than the people’s will.
Bakit hindi magtawag ng tao, sa Edsa kung sa Edsa. Sa Luneta, kung sa Luneta, sa kahit saan, para sagutin ang tanong: Gusto n’yo bang makulong si Gloria Arroyo?
And my goodness, if people come in droves, if, say, two million show up, how can the Supreme Court (SC) overrule so clear a manifestation of popular will? If in the past, fewer numbers installed presidents, surely much larger figures can jail another.
It’s what the people want that matters, it’s the spirit of the law that must prevail over what’s legal or made to appear legal, as here in this case it doesn’t matter who has got more evidence or less of it. Basta’t come hell or high water, eight in the SC will always vote for Arroyo wrong or right, and only five will go against her.
This, unless people power’s truly dead and gone.
NANGYARI NA!
– 1 –
Hindi ba natin napansin na…
Tayo pa rin sa “People Power” ang una?
Habang ang Amerika’y “Occupy Wall St.” pa lang…
At ang buong mundo’y “Occupy all streets” naman
Tayo’y hindi na nagsagawa ng EDSA nang lantaran
Ito’y dahil sa ang EDSA’y nasa atin na’ng diwa
– 2 –
Ngayo’y “Occupy the hearts and minds” na
‘Di na kailangang makibaka sa kalsada
Wala naman kasing naghalal sa mga taga Korte Suprema
Ang inihalal sa ehekutibo ang mas pinanigan pa
Walang “Rule of Law” ang makahihigit sa…
Umiral na “Rule of Majority” sa ating bansa!
KORO:
O, sadyang nakaaawa
Ang pinagmimistulang abang glorya
Sapagka’t ang karamihan
Sa kaniya’y hindi naaawa
(Ulitin ang koro 2x)
who is “the people”?
Huwag muna ngayon, mawawala ang excitement. Tsaka, maski naman mayroong ‘people power’, ano naman ang gagawin ng people power, hahatakin palabas ng building si Chief Justice at 7 niyang kasama, eh, hindi naman magre-resign ang mga iyon maski hatakin palabas ng building, hindi naman pwedeng saktan sila dahil magiging lynch mob na iyon, at makakasama sa gobierno ni Noynoy.
Let us leave the Chief Justice and his seven cohorts be for the time being. In due time those magnificent 8 will finish weaving the rope/knots/noose that will be used around their necks for their hanging, :).
Agree with Mrs. Siguion Reyna 100 percent. Lawyers are so focused on form they forget about substance.
its the adversarial nature of the justice system. they are supposed to focus on “form”.
Do lawyers lie?
Yes, Orlando, they do.
They said GMA is deathly sick she needed to fly that very day they booked flights in four airlines for abroad for her and husband for urgent treatment.
Now we know they lied, :).