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)
Loading ...
March 31st, 2008 at 9:16 pm
The remarks of the priest-dean is a figure of speech describing the senators’ reaction to that specific SC decision. It is his opinion that he is entitled to just like anybody irrespective of social status or title is entitled to his own. That we have to respect. I am not a lawyer but it is my humble opinion that Senators’ grumble that their investigative powers are crippled and that their co-equality is bypassed by that decision is pathetic. The investigations or hearings conducted by the Senate are functions in aid of legislation (that is not necessarily based on all the facts) and not to hear a criminal case or try an impeachment case where it has the constitutional power to gather all the facts and compel the production of evidences and uncover the truth. The impeachment case is through a process where it should be filed in the Lower House of Congress based on substantial evidence that will establish probable cause proving the culpability of the accused. However, the way the Senate are reacting, they seem to want to short cut the impeachment process. Thus far, the evidences presented by the witnesses in the Senate are mere hearsay - no hard evidences that prove the culpability of the President. This I understand is the due process and the rule of law provided by our Constitution that we should all respect and follow in dealing with this case. We are for uncovering the Truth. But within the bounds of the Constitution. Otherwise, we deserve to be called “childish” in matters supposed to be handled by responsible men.
Let hard evidences be produced that will prove the culpability of the accused who by the way has the right to remain silent or his words will be used against him. Otherwise, exposing the details of the executive discussions covered by the executive privilege that may not prove the culpability of the president will unnecessarily jeopardize our diplomatic relations and any matters not only of interest of the presidency as an institution but of national interest.
March 31st, 2008 at 8:22 pm
san beda law dean is very incredible…
unlucky school…
he is one of arroyo’s little evil….shame can’t figure out the right and wrong,
pari pa naman!
March 31st, 2008 at 5:38 pm
While the forest burns, the monkeys are ranting legalese in the banana trees. And don’t you all disturb them, for it is I, not the fire, who will consume them.
March 31st, 2008 at 4:17 pm
That is an honest opinion. If the president can be criticized, what makes the senators exempted?
March 31st, 2008 at 4:12 pm
hey franklin!
your professor said, “…the SC ’s role is merely to interpret the law…”
that adverb “merely” debilitates the absolute and highest function of our Supreme Court.