ABSCBN News has just announced that the Court of Appeals has granted a Temporary Restraining Order on behalf of beleaguered Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay after the "Office of the President" issued a "preventive suspension order" against him. (Please see Alan F. Paguia's Commentary on the legal and constitutional issues.)But lawyer Rene Saguisag was exasperated at the DILG and USec Wency Andanar, Sec. Ronnie Puno's underling totum-factotum on this caper, who immediately made statements that sounded like they might not exactly be in the mood to respect the Court of Appeals decision.
It's a second major legal reversal for Malacanang Palace, following a unanimous Supreme Court Decision pulling the rug out from under the PCGG fatheads and reaffirming the Congressional Coimmittee's power of inquiry and the "unremitting duty of every citizen" to respect the Congress and respond to every subpoena from it.
This time however, it is a brazen thrust by the Office of the President itself that has been blunted and averted in the peremptory decapitation of the entire elected officialdom of Makati City. (For American readers, just imagine if the Federal Government suddenly suspended the Mayor of New York City, along with the Vice Mayor and the entire City Council).
I hope that Jojo Binay and the City of Makati itself now takes the offensive to reclaim the most basic and cherished political right of its citizens: to be governed ONLY by representatives democratically elected by the people. They must make those who seek to diminish all of our rights PAY dearly for such transgression in the name of the Rule of Law.
17 comments:
Gloria's a real bully, isn't she?
HB,
Ever so imperceptibly, the tide HAS turned! i really have high hopes that wrt impeachment, the third time will be a charm!
The Administration must be reading Max Soliven
mr. Soliven, who has the ear of Malacanang, today writes:
If the DILG and the GMA Government don’t really have the goods on Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay – who "refuses" to be suspended – they’d better "whisper" to the Court of Appeals that it quickly resolve the issue and get Makati City defrosted from its present paralysis. Courts, alas, are like leviathans that move in slow motion and there are many "lawyer’s tricks" to delay or derail cases. Every abogado de campanilla has a lot of Whereas and Wherefores tucked in his or her old kit bag.
With Jojo Binay defiantly barricaded in his New City Hall, and newly-imposed "caretaker" OIC Rodolfo Feraren trying to get the business of Makati going again in his bunker in the Old City Hall, nothing can move in Makati. Like our traffic jams, Makati is gridlocked.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronnie Puno, no Shining Knight himself, must have convinced La Presidenta that Binay must be punished for his transgressions (the biggest transgression being that he opposes the President). This, from what I’ve been hearing, is the public perception.
Sure, Binay’s rusty armor – after 20 years of his lording it over Makati – may not be shiny either, but will Puno’s "man" Feraren be better? I don’t mean to scoff at him, or insult him, but the fact is that nobody I know, myself, included, ever heard of him. Yet, he’s being tasked to run one of the country’s richest and most pivotal cities – the virtual Financial Heart of the Philippines.
My unsolicited advice is that our government resolve the Makati Mess pronto – sooner rather than later. The spectacle of Jojo B. holed up in his mini-fortress, and an alternative City Hall attempting to conduct business – a difficult if not impossible proposition since almost every Makati employee and bureaucrat was appointed by Jojo Binay during his two decades of hegemony – demonstrates our political instability to the rest of the world.
And Voila, kumilos kaagad ang court of appeals.
I hope that Jojo Binay and the City of Makati itself now takes the offensive to reclaim the most basic and cherished political right of its citizens: to be governed ONLY by representatives democratically elected by the people. They must make those who seek to diminish all of our rights PAY dearly for such transgression in the name of the Rule of Law.
sana may military at police force rin ang opposition, so that we can use them to surround malacanang and forcibly evict the squatter.
You know Dean, Binay may have won this round but Gloria has the State's huge legal and local govt arsenal at her disposal, and the military, speaking of which, I was surprised to see him in battle outfit.
I thought he was just being "fashionable" until I learned that he was an officer in the reserve. My first thought that as a reservist, he wasn't allowed to wear a military officer's uniform, unless the occasion - official ceremony - called for it; second he was wearing it improperly - negligently, etc. Third was, if he meant it for show of force or to show his military affiliation to attract sympathy from the good guys in the military, the tactic could boomerang. (Btw, I can tell you that there would be soldiers and officers in the military who would not appreciate to see the uniform being worn in that fashion.)
Having said that, I believe that Binay’s wearing of the uniform should not be turned into a national or military issue but Gloria might just use this episode, having "lost" the first round, to instruct the AFP to look into a probable violation or breach of military protocol (but she will be silly if she does that). At worst, it is a ridiculous issue given the more serious nature of the situation - a stand off between Malacanang and the country’s premiere city.
Let's hope that Binay’s "uniform" won't be seized upon by Malacanang to prod the AFP to drum up charges against Binay. The breach of military protocol issue could be used to waste Binay’s time. If that happens, Binay will have to battle on two fronts when clearly, he could have avoided it so he could focus on the greater battle - the one against LtGeneral Eduardo Ermita (Retd), Malacanang's chief bully, Gloria and her deputy bully, Mr Puno.
HB,
I thought it was scary that Esperon himself jumped on it like he was really spoiling for a fight! I wonder how close we came to a real cataclysm. And of course, it isn't over by a long shot. But twice in a week the Palace has "lost". I think that is significant, because, once the illusion of impregnability is dispelled, things can unravel very quickly.
Hi Hillblogger! Wearing military uniforms in public is not unique to Binay. You can see a lot of "fashionable" YOUTH wearing them in public, especially the fatigue and jungle variety and I didn't hear anyone commenting on it.
Anyway, the way the generals acted, especially during the 2004 elections, have already degraded the value of the military uniform.I believe in Gen. Lim and the marines in the Fort Bonifacio stand-off but do not believe in the rest of them.
John,
Well it certainly looks like the govt is probably relieved that the CA pulled their hand out of the hornets nest in time. But walang atrasan ito. Perhaps Jojo Binay will be joining Enrile and Ramos...
Dean,
I bet Gloria was very, very relieved!
Hi BFR,
Long time no see, er read I mean. Yeah, you're right - that's why I thought Binay was being fashionable when he donned a combat attire.
hb,
i have a feeling this drama is just beginning. malacanang is facing a terrible dilemma: back down, lose face, and be challenged and opposed on every lil thing from here to the election; OR escalate the thing into a major confrontation.
If I were Gloria, I would pipe down for a while and regroup my forces and witnesses and give Binay a breather. Let the whole thing cool down for a wee while but get my smooth operator of a hubby, Mike the greedy to perhaps have ISAFP guys eavesdrop on the fellow. I would do it quietly for a while and not let my mouthpieces go around throwing punches. Would hold my deputy bully, Puno and ask him to keep cool.
Obviously I could go for broke, what with the elections a few months away but heck, I ain't got anything to lose but time is on my side, I got till 2010 to think and do things.
And if I were Gloria, I'd invite an international celebrity like Angelina Jolie or Zinedine Zidane to come to entertain people so people don't get to focalized on the Makati fiasco.
Even before the tro came out, Doronila wrote that whoever lost this stand-off would lose face.
So I think you may be right Hillblogger, the gloves could be coming of after a lil cooling off period.
Hillblogger, I said in Ellen's site that "MATAPANG ANG APOG NI GLORIA." And you asked what apog means. Jon M posted that it is white powder from "dinikdik na seashells used as make-up. He is right. It is white powder used by actresses and actors in the Philippines during the times of bodabil (vaudaville to you) to hide blemishes and to make them beautiful and handsome. It is used to cover up the face and when one uses too much she is teased "ang tapang ng apog mo."
Later on, it was used to describe someone who is "walang hiya" o hindi nahihiya. Susan Roces shouted at Gloria "Ang tapang ang apog mo" because Gloria "stole the presidency, not once, but twice" and yet she had the gall and temerity to claim that God made her president. Now that is apog!
But then a good apog has a good use also. It is applied above a starting BOIL to prevent it from spreading and erupting. It also cures. What we need today is someone who is also "makapal ang apog", someone who will tell himself that he is the one that the country needs, God's own chosen and confront and stop the BOIL that is Gloria. Tapalan ng mas matapang na apog ang PIGSA na ang pangalan ay Gloria.
bfr,
I am also familiar with the expression "matapang ang apog" but for some reason I've always associated the word "apog" with the practice of chewing betel nut, or nga-nga, a kind of native recreational drug that involves the use of certain edible leaves with a layer of "apog" or calcium carbonate paste ("lime") wrapping the sometimes powerfully stimulating betel nuts, possibly with an effect similar to the chewing of coca leaves.
So, "matapang ang apog" could be an acrid pejorative for a bad serving of nga-nga.
You're right, DJB, apog is also one of the ingredients of nga-nga which my lola emang and lola intang used to chew when I was just a tiny lad. I was always entranced watching them prepare the ingredients, una, inaalmiris ang betel nut, tapos inilalagay sa dahon at lalagyan ng apog, tapos ibabalot ng maayos sa dahon at isusubo upang nguyain parang chewing gum. Pero paq dudura na si lola ay takbuhan na kami at baka tamaan ng mapulang nganga.
You maybe right DJB, but as I've first heard "Tapang ng apog" from BODABIL at Clover and Manila Grand Opera House I've always associated it with the apog used for make-up. Nevertheless, the figure of speech means someone "MAKAPAL ANG MUKHA, someone with so much temerity and gall and shamelessness as to be able to do and claim outrageous things like saying that "she was chosen by God to be president".
Kaya ngayon ang labanan ay patapangan na lang ng apog. Sino ba ang mas matapang ang apog na lantaran at harapang lalaban ke Gloria nang hindi kukurap. Because the term can also be used positively to describe someone so brave that he willing to risk everything in his life for the sake of the Filipino people by openly defying and fighting Gloria. Hindi makapal ang mukha kundi maamong mukha na susundan at igagalang ng madla.
You hit the nail on the hilarious head BFR:
Tama po kayo! "Matapang ang apog" really means "Makapal ang mukha" by way of "Mabagsik ang makeup!" sa dami, uri, at amoy!
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