Let the impeachment of Gutierrez begin

I got a text message from our good friend Mrs. Tessie Fernandez of Lihok Filipina correcting me. She said that charges for statutory rape can only be slapped when a person has sex with a girl 12 years old and below. We’ve always been made to believe that it is statutory rape if the victim is below 18 years old. Well, if this is the case, then we can’t do anything about it. But in the case of that Italian who was stabbed by that 17-year-old girl, I dare say that she isn’t a criminal but rather a victim of a rich man taking advantage of a poor girl. That in itself is still injustice. Thanks, Tess for your clarification and correction.

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 We praise the Supreme Court for finally allowing the impeachment proceedings against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to continue. This was the case filed by former Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros Baraquel and the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) in response to the complaints by many sectors that Gutierrez was dragging her feet on many corruption cases all throughout the country. This was something that we in Cebu had long waited for; after all, we too have our celebrated corruption cases like the infamous Girls Scout Scam and the Lamppost Scam. She has lost the trust and confidence of the Filipino people. Thanks to people like her, corruption has gone unabated.

 Gutierrez elevated this issue to the Supreme Court during the 14th Congress and Pres. Gloria Arroyo was still in power when the Congressional Committee on Justice found the complaints against the Ombudsman sufficient in form and in substance. But when the House prepared to hear the impeachment proceedings against Gutierrez, she asked the SC to stop these impeachment attempts on her because there were two filed in separate times. But the SC says that there was no such violation. So now the circus will now shift towards the impeachment of the Ombudsman.

 In my book, Ombudsman Gutierrez should not have asked the Supreme Court and relied in the allies of then Pres. Arroyo to exonerate her. Chances are she would have been off the hook by now. But since it took the SC some time to decide her case, now with the change of power in the House, which is now ruled by the Liberal Party (LP) her chances of being impeached is very high; after all, impeachment is a political proceeding. So baring any more hitches, we shall enjoy watching these impeachment proceedings, coming very soon in Congress.

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 According to Malacañang Palace Spokesman Edwin Lacierda, he expects the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) to respect and honor the seven-day truce that they agreed with Philippine government to commence this Tuesday. A ceasefire for what? Just because this will be the start of the formal talks between the Philippine government and the CPP and the National Democratic Front (NDF)?

 What will we expect next Tuesday, another march of the New People’s Army (NPA) armed cadres to show to the world that there’s a double standard in imposing our gun laws in this country? Again, let me say it here that the Aquino Administration is talking with the Communists Party politicos who seek to destroy the very fiber of our democracy.

 The CPP has always been led by its Chairman Jose Maria “Joma” Sison since Marcos was President. This is why I don’t think that the talks in Oslo, Norway would prosper unless the Aquino administration would allow the top leaders of the CPP to play a major role in the Aquino administration. But then if he does this, he’d probably trigger a huge mass action against him, he might as well leave Malacañang before his term ends.

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 I got this emailed comment about my article exhorting the Ombudsman to let Commission on Audit (COA) officials undergo a lifestyle check. This email comes from Mr. Rodolfo Santos of [email protected]:

 I’ve just read your above entitled column and I second your motion sir, to have those COA officials, also the employees’ lifestyles be checked. Their corruption begins at the Barangay level. I can say that because I’m an employee of a small Barangay. A member of provincial or municipal COA is always present whenever our Barangay is purchasing something, be it a minicab for a Barangay patrol, mini garbage truck and even the quarterly P50K worth of medicines for our Kabarangays. After every bidding, our treasurer and the supplier will talk on the amount the COA representative will accept for his/her attendance. I’m sure this is also the way it goes for big branches of government. The only difference probably is, they talk in the millions.”

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 Email: [email protected]