All eyes are now focused on the Senate

Tonight’s special presentation on Straight from the Sky is a topic so relevant in today’s times because today could very well be the beginning of the rest of our political life with the Senate impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. So we brought with us a panel to ask the question… “What is happening to our country?”

With us tonight is ANAD Party-list Rep. Pastor “Jun” Alcover, Jr.; Engr. Greg Senining anchor of “Tingog sa Lungsod” radio program; Atty. Christie Conales, President of the Tri-Media Association; and Rey Batiquin, President of Sugbuanon Komentaristang Nagpakabana (SUKNA). I would like to congratulate Rep. Jun Alcover for being one among the three congressmen who submitted his Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) when requested, while the rest of Congress refused to show their SALNs.

With the impeachment trial commencing today, congressmen who will prosecute CJ Corona have lost their moral ascendancy to try the Chief Justice because they are just as guilty as the CJ in not openly declaring their SALNs. So where are we headed? This is why you should see this very interesting show on SkyCable’s channel 15 at 8:00pm.

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Last week, fuel prices increased twice, but where are the militant street marchers who usually protest against the government’s inability to halt those fuel increases? Again I dare say that those street marchers have all but disappeared despite the high fuel pump prices and it’s ill effects on our economy because their militant leaders have all but “cooperated or allied” themselves with the Aquino Regime especially on matters that are more important to the cause of the leftist groups, especially the underground communist struggle.

As for the poor people, just like our politicians, the communists just use them for their selfish purposes … but never to uplift their lot. If only the politicians and the communists delivered half the promises they gave to the poor, this nation would be better off today. But the bottomline is crystal clear to me -that both the politicians and the communists have only one single objective … to enhance their political power at the expense of the poor.

Whether you believe it or not, the Senate impeachment trial of CJ Corona will once more bring this nation into the precipice, which could end up either good or bad for this sick nation of ours. So all eyes are on the Senate and we can only hope that the outcome will be acceptable to the Filipino people. But will it? Already, the leftist groups issued a statement that they would never accept defeat … or the acquittal of CJ Corona.

But with the latest development last week, where almost all congressmen (except for three which includes Rep. Pastor Alcover) failed to come up with their SALNs according to Malou Mangahas of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), Congress has lost its moral ascendancy to prosecute the CJ for the same allegations. It is akin to the pot telling the kettle that it is black!

The other revealing development came from no less than the Commission on Audit (COA), another Constitutional body, which cleared the Supreme Court of any wrongdoing on its financial reports. So there is really nothing for Congress to prosecute. Of course, the bottomline is crystal clear … impeachment after all is not a criminal trial, but a political exercise.

If, according to Rep. Jun Alcover, one million was given to each of the 188 congressmen who signed the impeachment complaint, who knows how much bribe money has been offered to our Senators? Now whether they accepted this bribe will be revealed in the coming days. Did I say bribe? Indeed, how else would 188 congressmen sign a very important impeachment document all in 45 minutes without reading it unless something was dangled to entice them to sign that document? It is truly a shameful act!

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The Blackbox

If last Saturday’s procession and yesterday’s Sinulog Parade hasn’t worn you down, the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI) is holding a forum “Sinug” dance offering for Sto. Niño at 9:30am today at the George Bryant Plenary Hall of the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center (EADSC). Our good friend, historian Dr. Erlinda Alburo, will discuss and resolve the usage of the two popular linguistic references to the Cebuano dance and festival in honor of the Señor Sto. Niño… the Sinug and Sinulog.

Then at 3:00pm, RAFI will hold the annual “Sinug sa Casa Gorordo” that will be performed by Estelita “Nang Titang” Diola and her dancers in Casa Gorordo. The whole day affair intends to foster awareness of Cebuano cultural heritage and history among the local and international community.

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