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Thursday, June 30, 2005
Adaza: Apology acceptable
By Guerrero A. Adaza
My Viewpoints
FINALLY, President Arroyo admitted that she is the voice in the wiretapped tape. She then apologized to the people for her improper conduct.
However, she did not say with whom she conversed. She made it unclear though who this unidentified Comelec official was.
Arroyo is definite that it was due to anxiety to protect her votes that she made such call. This admission and her being earnestly sorry for her lapse of judgment is to my mind acceptable.
We ought to forgive her and move on to the goal of strengthening the Republic in its economic front, as well as its moral foundation.
Her credibility certainly suffers, for there are still unanswered questions as to whether she really ordered the Comelec official concerned to tamper the will of the people in the last poll.
That's why Congress should conduct the inquiry. Who ordered the wiretap? Why was it so? And what protection must the citizenry avail of in the light of this discovery that even a cell phone conversation could be tapped.
Is the admission of Mrs. Arroyo constitutive of a betrayal of public trust?
Is it a culpable violation of the Constitution that would merit a complaint of impeachment?
The opposition should take stock of these questions and if its leaders say so then, so be it, let them file it, so that the committee concerned in the Lower House can begin the discussions on the matter.
In today's papers the Oliver Lozano complaint for impeachment was already filed and expectedly an administration congressman endorsed it.
If the Lozano complaint will be dismissed for being defective in form and substance by the committee, then no other impeachment complaint could be filed for this what the Constitution provides.
Seemingly the opposition lawyers were outsmarted by the legal advisers of the President.
If the opposition leaders are simply obsessed to take over the reins of government, they should be sober and responsible enough not to furthermore fuel up the anger of a sector of the public hoping that an overwhelming demand for Arroyo's ouster to prevail, so that she will have no choice but to resign.
A snap election then, so that the people can decide to elect a new leader, so that the protests will stop? The proponents of this move know that it is unconstitutional. The fundamental law of the land does not allow it. But it happened during the Marcos era. Yes, it did. For there was no Constitution to talk of in those times.
Ferdinand Marcos was the law. And when he agreed to the call for snap elections, it was so, for he said so.
Majority of the Metro Manila voters in the last presidential poll voted for the late Fernando Poe Jr. for President.
Many Metro Manilans still think that the late Fernando Poe, Jr. is the one who was the winner in that election.
That is why the decision of his widow, Susan Roces, to join or not the opposition's insistence that Arroyo resigns is crucial.
If she will speak out her mind that Arroyo should step down being a fraudulent President, certainly this could unite the disparate groups to harmonize their acts to make certain the ouster of Arroyo, for then Susan Roces is a credible and sincere unifier of the disunited factions. Once Susan Roces comes out in public to support the ouster move, I think the Arroyo administration should really be worried if this development occurs.
This is a possible scenario for if on the assumption that Susan Roces will call for Arroyo's ouster then it might become a tsunami of emotional sympathy.
The majority of the people will become unreasoning and the Constitution will be set aside, for the right to self-determination by the people is supreme over the Constitution, they will say and the voice of the people is the voice of God.
I am hopeful still that the country will survive this political crisis, for numerous right-thinking Filipinos who frown upon violence and disorder continue to pray to God for the survival of the nation and the enlightenment of the rulers and the ruled in our country.
It is indeed unfortunate that our people has go through this period, when fuel prices are on the upswing, which will add to the difficulties of the majority of the people.
The opposition leaders should think of the welfare of the country, not just for their hunger for power. So this goes also for Mrs. Arroyo and her allies.
Enough of the bickering. Enough of the grandstanding. Enough of the marches.
The repentant Arroyo should redouble her efforts, obviously for the people to be still supportive of her.
After clearing the air, she should conduct herself now as a real President and a leader worthy of the trust and confidence of the people.
She should be serious in her discharge of her functions. And no more pictures of her in Boracay unwinding and no more TV displays of her tantrums in public and her Nora Aunorish conduct on television.
The Filipino people need a real leader dedicated and capable to ride over the storm. God really has a way to teach leaders a lesson when they go astray.
Trivia
Fr. Steve Olario spoke before the worship assembly of the Oasis of Love Community last Tuesday at the Blessed Sacrament Chapel of the Sacred Heart of Jesus at Kauswagan this City at 8:30 in the evening.
He spoke about the benefits and liabilities when one works in a foreign land. Loneliness is an affliction that affects the overseas foreign workers and some succumb to the temptation of the flesh.
Fr. Olario left for the USA Wednesday together with Fr. Joe Cabantan. Fr. Fil Cabulosan is back from his assignment in Vallejo City, California, USA.
He is presently assigned in a Gingoog City Parish...The evangelization team of the Oasis of Love will have its Life in the Spirit seminar on July 1, 2 and 3, 2005 in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental.
The registration fee is P100 that will cover 2 lunches. The venue is the Formation Center of the Tagoloan Parish. This is a live out seminar morning and afternoon...Dr. Dante Estandarte, a former President of the Rotary Club of Bay Area, informed me that 3 persons that he treated for injuries were victims of thrill-seeking stabbers at the Divisoria area in the evenings.
One died due to fatal stab wounds. The police authorities should act with urgency on this upsurge of thrill seeking criminals operating right in the hear of our city, Councilor Alvin Calingin has correctly moved to prod the police authorities to clean up our city of criminal elements especially in the places were people congregate.
For Bisaya stories from Davao. Click here. (June 30, 2005 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
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