Category: Government

Jeepney Court: Why the Senate impeachment trial court is like the jeepney

May 25, 2012May 25, 2012 benign0 19 Comments

The jeepney originally came into the public service for several clear reasons: (1) to address a post-war shortage of public mass transportation, (2) there was abundant raw material — surplus United States Army jeeps — for the product, and (3) Filipinos were not up to the task of rebuilding a systemised public transport infrastructure. Fast…

Civics, Crime, Development, Government, Politics

Dean Tony La ViÃ±a’s call for Corona to resign misses the real point

May 24, 2012May 24, 2012 benign0 47 Comments

According to Dean Tony La ViÃ±a in his piece “Everything but the truth” published on ‘social news network’ site Rappler.com, “The truth demands stringent rigor, a burden enough to break lesser men. The Supreme Court carries a heavy responsibility as the adjudicator of the truth in the cases it hears. What we saw [in Chief…

Civics, Crime, Culture, Government, Politics

Musings on Coronaâ€™s appearance in court: ICU, Mistrials and Waivers

May 24, 2012 a 55 Comments

Chief Justice Renato Coronaâ€™s much-anticipated appearance in the Senate for his impeachment trial was met with, unsurprisingly, negative reactions and remarks. It was clear that the Filipino people are not interested in the very least to hear what the respondent had to say; they just wanted him to show up so they can ridicule him…

Government, Politics, Society

Corona’s alleged walk out: was he physically sick of the impeachment court?

May 23, 2012 Ilda 145 Comments

Most of us have come to expect pandemonium when it comes to the impeachment trials of our public officials and that is usually what we get. I must say that this is one for the books. We all knew that Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Coronaâ€™s appearance in his impeachment trial would be filled with…

Civics, Crime, Culture, Government, Media, Politics, Society

Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona’s day in court

May 23, 2012May 23, 2012 benign0 158 Comments

Brilliant performance today from Chief Justice Renato Corona. He laid himself out in a manner ordinary Filipinos could relate with. The simplicity of his lifestyle, the straightforward manner with which he accumulated his wealth, and the looking-you-in-the-eye reaffirmation of his lack of any wrongdoing cut straight past the TV screens and struck hard the hearts…

Crime, Government, Media, Politics

Learning from Pigs and the Yellows

May 22, 2012 Hector Gamboa 25 Comments

A fellow member of the Get Real Philippines Facebook page asked an interesting question. â€œDo you agree that a change in self must happen first before a change in rules? Or do you believe in the reverse?â€ This, for me, is a thought-provoking question. Some folks, especially proponents of Charter Change (to Parliamentary form of…

Charter Change, Government, Politics

Run for the banks! Senator Judges behold the return of the ‘S’ word: SEQUESTER

May 21, 2012 benign0 32 Comments

Unintended consequences — the evil spawn of those famous last words: It seemed like a good idea at the time. It’s the cancerous mass-thinking process that latches humanity onto the glitzy, glossy, mind candy of easy shortcuts and quick fixes fuelled by sef-important notions of what one considers to be “noble” goals. “Cheaper faster better”…

Civics, Crime, Economy, Government, Politics

The fate of Philippine democracy is in the hands of the Senator Judges of the impeachment court

May 18, 2012September 27, 2013 Ilda 48 Comments

This is it. This is what some of us have been waiting for. No, it’s not really the much-anticipated appearance of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona in court. Okay, yes. We are going to be glued to the tube when he finally testifies, indeed. But at the back of our heads, the long wait…

Crime, Featured, Government, Politics, Society