AS a law dean, this priest from San Beda should stop making comments such as calling senators childish.
First of all, as a law dean he should refrain from making comments unless he speaks for the whole San Beda law school. As a priest, he should reserve his comments to himself unless he wants to go into politics. As a regular reactor to news publications, he should do so but not under the cloak as a priest or as a dean. Then I will welcome his comments.
Please don’t mock your school name or your students. And calling the senators childish reminds me of my teachers in grade school. Yes, we deserved then to be called childish but calling the senators at this time childish for doing their jobs is a behavior that this priest dean has not overcome yet, his being at one time a grade school teacher. If you want to be a regular critic for or against political issues, unless you want to compromise your position as dean, then stop addressing yourself as priest dean.
Meanwhile, the reaction of the senators to the Supreme Court decision is normal since the Senate is a co-equal body under our Constitution. The SC decision drew a lot of reactions from the public as well as private sector. What I have learned from my political science professors is that the SC ’s role is merely to interpret the law and to keep in mind that the rationale behind such law is to protect the Constitution and to protect the interest of all and not one person who in this case is the appellant. The SC decision unless reversed will send signals from hereon that it’s all right to report a crime and then cover it up by invoking executive privilege.
Under our present laws, if you deliberately engage in a cover-up of a crime then you are equally liable for it even though you did not commit it. I rest my case and I hope this priest dean would do the same.
– Franklin Ysaac, Sen. Gil Puyat Avenue, Makati City, Philippines (via e-mail)
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April 4th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
Huh! Of course you don’t really mean your assertion? I mean that its only the Senate that is doing its job?
Are your deaf, blind or simply a moron?
Or you do not really know the real workings of Philippine politics? Excuse me Pañero but as far as my recollection of our current politicians is concerned, especially in the national level, all of them are crooks. Kanya nga lang that’s something that is not often talked about.
You think these Senators hounding the current administration are doing it for the “bayan”? Holly sh*t! They’re doing it for their ratings, they’re doing it for the upcoming 2010 elections! Tell me if I’m wrong but if one of them do succeed in replacing the current tenant of Malacañang, that someone will be just as corrupt (with the likes of Lacson, et al.?, they’ll be worse)
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Hehehe…. lawyer daw si Rex. Cge, ride ako dyan. You want to fool the people here? Ok, let’s play the fools.
April 3rd, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Not all senators are childish. Some of them are really intelligent and deserved to be called honorable. Senator Enrile asked sensible and baiting questions. Senator Legarda is fair and logical in her questions. The others like Sen. Lacson, Sen. Estrada and Sen. Madrigal are really boorish and arrogant, while Sen. Biazon seems clueless and can’t think beyond his military experience.
April 3rd, 2008 at 6:49 am
Rex Roberto Says:
April 1st, 2008 at 1:21 am
I am a lawyer and of all the three branches of the Philippine government, it is the Senate that’s the only one doing its job. The Executive stole the elections and engaged in kickbacks.
The Supreme Court has abandoned judicial responsibility by ruling that Neri may hide under “Executive Privilege.” The Philippines, a former U.S. Commonwealth has similar laws with the U.S. Faced with that legal issue, the U.S. Supreme Court will NEVER in its wildest dreams allow executive privilege to hide a conspiracy to commit a crime. Only Chief Justice Puno and his fellow dissenters upheld the rule of law. The majority obviously leaned not on the law but wrongly on GMA’s side.
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I would like to rebut some statements of Mr. Roberto irregardless whether he is a lawyer or not.
You said that it is only the senate that is doing its job. What job?
The senate is doing an investigation job. Is that what you mean job, to investigate?
They are doing police work. They made the senate, the house of horror, the chamber of mental torture where they harass witnesses with power of arrest and detention, where they use third degree of humiliation to extract testimony from witnesses. Is that what you call job of honorable men?
The senators are usurping the function of the NBI, the number one investigating agency; they took over the work of the ombudsman to probe public officials.
It is defined in the Constitution that the Senate main job is to MAKE LAWS.
Where are the enacted laws, where are bill they passed, Nothing, nada because they engage in dada. These senators should be audited on their performance. They are not doing their homework. We need laws on education, social services, health, agriculture, environment, population, and many more. If they cannot think new ideas, just copy from American legislation. As we already copied pinoy idol, pinoy big brother, deal or no deal and many more.
You said the executive stole the election and engage in kickbacks. How dare you to accuse the presidency without basis, your judgment is irresponsible as a lawyer.
Remember the word “due process”. It is the basic principle laid out in the Constitution, the presumption of innocence; even the most notorious murderer is given due process because we call that justice. I don’t need to elaborate; you know that being a lawyer.
Again, you are wrong when you said the Supreme Court abandoned its judicial responsibility by suspending the NBN investigation under executive privilege to hide the conspiracy to commit a crime.
Of course you the principle of separation of power, check and balance among the the three branches of government.
But we will discuss the contract itself, if it really requires judicial scrutiny.
Nullum crimen, nullum criminal. There is no crime then there is no criminal. There is no contract, and then there is no obligation.
The NBN contract was cancelled by the president, voided by the Supreme Court. So what is there to probe and prove? There is no bad faith, there is no good faith. No one is at disadvantage; no one is at advantage. There is no gainer there is no loser. How could the president be in a conspiracy to commit crime? What crime? Is signing a contract treasonous act? There is no crime conspiracy if there is no overt act.
And you said that only Justice Puno and fellow dissenters upheld the law. They are dissenters then they did not uphold the law. Again the Rule of Majority was observed by the supreme court, by the vote of majority, the justices arrived a conclusive decision but likewise recognized the dissenting opinion.
As the Supreme Court speaks out then, not only I or you but the entire country is bound by what they decide. They are the final orbiter; they are the ultimate law that’s why they are called supreme. Their knowledge and wisdom were crafted thru years of bench thinking and no one can question their authority but abide them.
I would recommend that you take another bar exam for I think you were absent when legal or judicial ethics were taught by your professor.
I am an ordinary layman and I use common sense in this common law of ours. No need of bragging but understanding, for universal law applies to everybody regardless of legal education or profession.
April 3rd, 2008 at 2:28 am
Mr.Ysaac,
Why can’t somebody call this arrogant senators childish?They have been calling the president with worse names bordering to indecent and obscene!
I have read this dean priest comments lately and I find his wisdom and discernment on issues very enlightening.
On your questioning the Supreme Court in protecting the right of one person against all the people is myopic.I am not a lawyer but I understand no institution or group can take away the right of even a single person much so when written in our Constitution or else throw it away and let the mob rules.
Also ,when you say public or sectors reacting negatively to the Supreme Court’s,yes I hear them from same people all along.Many of them have wanted this President get out of Malacanang since day one. What do we expect them to hail something that is favorable for her office.
If there are people who wish ill to GMA,I hope I am not alone in wishing her to succeed till her term ends.
Our beloved country deserves a better senate!