Erap and Gloria and Bubba and Paula and Sonny and Angie

"WHAT DIVERSION?" one may ask of the Makati Mall Blast (now found to be an "accidental gas explosion"). Nary a political beat was skipped as the political arpeggio builds to a new crescendo after a collective gasp of paranoia and prejudgment (even here at Philippine Commentary). There were many theories about whodunit, but all alone in a league of pure nuttiness was this, from Billy Esposo.

There is little time to pause, however, as major political developments take center stage once more.

The first is Precedent Joseph "Erap" Estrada's pending "full, free and absolute" pardon from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo after his decision not to appeal his plunder conviction. A pox on both their houses, the PDI editorial says, without mentioning how their Sacred Cow, Hilario "Golden Calf" Davide made this absurdity of Justice possible with his false doctrines of constructive resignation and withdrawal of support. The root of all this evil, in my opinion, lies in Davide's destruction of constitutionalism in 2001, still ongoing from on high wherein the Supreme Court has usurped the Congress' exclusive and sole power to remove Constitutional officers with that silly impeachment initiation rule; consecrated the principle that if a military mutiny and coup d'etat works then it is legal and we must acquiesce; and their ongoing power grab of Commander-in-chief powers in the so called human rights "rules" of amparo and habeas data, which come into force this week! Of relevance to these issues are two statements that I recorded yesterday:

Downloadable MP3 of Twink Macaraig interviewing Atty. Leonard de Vera of the No Pardon for Erap Movement

Downloadable MP3 of Pia Hontiveros and Tony Velasquez interviewing Atty. Rene Saguisag

All this seems to be making Luis Chavit "Jueteng and Smuggling Lord" Singson nervous.

But a second development of great historical interest is the suit filed before the Ombudsman by lawyer Harry Roque and former vice president Teofisto Guingona against President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo which challenges the notion of Presidential immunity from suit. For such normally rabid anti-Americans it is noteworthy that they cite as their justification a precedent in the United States Supreme Court decision in the matter of Paula Jones' lawsuit against then President Bill "Bubba" Clinton for sexual harassment.

The Washington Post has this excellent summary of that most interesting case, including the SCOTUS decision in Jones v. Clinton and the background developments that led to it.

I was just kidding about Harry and Tito being anti-Americans, but am dead serious about Erap and Gloria and Sonny and Angie all going to jail together, with a 24/7 webcam for all to look into a mirror of our own delusions. And of course, somehow, Hilario G. Davide must also be punished for his destruction of the Constitution, of separation of powers, of checks and balances. If he gets away with that, anything that happens to punish his creations will be for naught. It is his destructive memes that are the root of these present evils.

We do not need the false gods of unconstitutional moralism and elitism. We need Separation of Powers, Checks and Balances, Public Accountability. We need to fix the machine of Democracy that the barrio carpenters have "constructively" destroyed by their tinkering and judicial activism. Else, all is for naught!

UPDATES:

EVERY CLOUD HAS A SILVER LINING: Manolo Quezon (ABSCBN, The Explainer) delivered precisely the right message on his show last night, even before he had uttered a single word of actual explanation, when he chose for his audience a troop of Boy Scouts, whose enduring motto is of course: BE PREPARED! For although the October 19 Makati Mall blast was more than likely an accidental gas explosion, the lessons the Public and the authorities ought to learn are substantially the same, for the effects of a real terrorist attack on the populace are well enough approximated, at least qualitatively by this incident. The human tragedy in loss of life and limb, as well as mental security, are perhaps no less in all of these cases. It is NOW, before terrorist attacks do occur (may they never!) that the Filipino people and their government should undertake the serious task of preparing for the eventualities that have already touched us in the past, and is bedevilling many other countries today. Congratulations to that show's producers and participants for an important and essential message: BE PREPARED!