In my almost seven decades as a journalist, I have never seen associate justices of the Supreme Court—three incumbent and one retired, and even a court administrator and clerk of court, testifying before the House Committee on Justice.
The testimonies are to establish probable cause that Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno indeed committed impeachable offenses.
I am convinced Sereno has lost the rectitude or moral integrity needed to make her primus inter pares—the first among equals—in the Supreme Court.
Among those who testified before the House Committee on Justice, Justice Francis Jardeleza made the most damaging statements against Sereno. He said she committed treason when she used a top secret document pertaining to the West Philippine Sea in an attempt to block his appointment to the Supreme Court.
Recall that Jardeleza told the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague that an island claimed and occupied by Taiwan should be excluded in the Philippines’ claim against China.
In her rejection of Jardeleza’s appointment, Sereno called him disloyal, a Judas to the country. He then accused Sereno of treason.
The other justices—Noel Tijam, Arturo Brion and Teresita Leonardo-de Castro—cited instances which showed Sereno’s lack of respect for en banc decisions. They also showed her lack of moral integrity.
All these constitute betrayal of public trust.
The testimonies of these magistrates should be sufficient to make the House committee on justice to find probable cause to move the impeachment complaint to the next level.
Betrayal of public trust, as provided for by the 1987 Constitution, as a ground for impeachment is so broad a concept.
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The responsibility and accountability for the mess that is Sanofi Pasteur’s Dengvaxia are clear. They all point to former President Aquino who saw the Sanofi executive not only once but twice in Paris, France. The same goes for Aquino’s Health Secretary, Janette Garin, who had dinner with the Sanofi executives for the implementation of the project.
Since the cost of Sanofi’s Dengvaxia was P3.5 billion to the Filipino people, both Aquino and Garin should be charged with plunder, including former Budget and Management Secretary Butch Abad, who released the funds for it. The deal was not in the 2016 national budget.
It is also clear that at the time of the purchase of the vaccine, it was still on its experimental stage. It needed to be certified by the World Health Organization. No less than 733,000 public schoolchildren turned out to be Sanofi’s guinea pigs.
Santa Banana, now Sanofi tells us that Dengvaxia is safe. Oh really? First, Sanofi said that the vaccine poses risk to those who intent have a history of dengue. Now, they claim it’s safe.
It is good that Health Secretary Francisco Duque suspended the immunization program, and wants the P3.5 billion refunded.
To me, what is important is to ensure that those reasonable for this mess should be held accountable and charged in court. And BS Aquino cannot deny that the Dengvaxia fiasco was politically-motivated since he negotiated and implemented it for political purposes—close to the 2016 polls!
In other words, from the point of view of the former President and his health secretary, politics was the real reason for buying a vaccine not yet certified by the WHO.
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Seven of the country’s biggest conglomerates are reported to be looking at rehabilitating and redeveloping the Ninoy Aquino International Airport—the strongest signal yet from the private sector on the pressing need to upgrade the busiest international gateway to the Philippines.
The Dragons, as they are called, include Andrew Tan’s Alliance Global Group, Ayala Corp., Aboitiz Equity Ventures Inc., Manuel V. Pangilian-led Metro Pacific Investment Corp., Goatianun-led Filinvest Development Corp., Gokongwei-led J.G. Summit Holdings Inc. and Lucio Tan’s LT Group.
Actually, this is not the first time that the private sector has set its eyes on the development of Naia as the main gateway to the country.
Now, the private sector is at it again. But, I am doubtful it will go through since some bright boys of the Duterte administration can only deal with projects where they can get something for themselves. It’s almost always this way.
San Miguel is not involved with the project since San Miguel President and COO Ramon Ang has his own project to build an international airport in Bulacan, with four runways on a 500-hectare land near Manila Bay. There’s also the Japan International Cooperation Assistance project with Henry Sy Sr.’s SM Investments to put up an international airport at Sangley Point, Cavite.
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The reported plan of President Duterte to fire Energy Regulation Commissioners or even to abolish the entire ERC in the process because of corruption brings to fore the question: Why abolish an entire commission when it’s only the commissioners who are reported to be corrupt?
The President was reportedly mad at the ERC after the suicide of Francisco Villa Jr., who allegedly couldn’t stand pressure brought upon him by resigned ERC Chief Jose Vicente Salazar to approve procurement deals and hire consultants without proper bidding and procedure.
But, if there are indeed corrupt ERC commissioners, why abolish the entire commission which has a purpose in regulating power contracts and allied businesses?
The President has already appointed former Justice Secretary and Solicitor General Agnes Devanadera, as ERC head who I know to have integrity and honesty. I am sure she would not tolerate corruption at the ERC.
In fact, Devanadera, is already revamping the ERC to make the agency respond to both the power sector and consumers alike. The President should just let Devanadera use her experience as Solgen and DoJ secretary to make the ERC a clean agency.
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Customs Commissioner Isidro Lapena should be told about this. The former head of the Bonded Warehouse division is interfering with the functions of some 400 Customs employees assigned to that office.
Insider reports alleged that despite the presence of an acting Chief of the Bonded House division, Arnold Dela Torre, this former division chief often interferes with the activities of the division, particularly in the overtime pay of the 400 Customs employees.
Just for what reasons, the division personnel say they don’t know.
