The Corona challenge...or curse?

Call me “kulit” if you wish, but up to this writing, Sen. Franklin Drilon, all the 20 sanctimonious senator judges who convicted Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona (except perhaps Sen. Chiz Escudero, but I still have to see his SALN and waiver) have not accepted the Corona challenge that all of them sign their respective bank waivers. Everyone hides under that phrase, “No one has accused us... and we’re not on trial.” Well, you can say that I am accusing all of them for hiding their bank statements before the eyes of the Filipino people who want to know if they are corrupt or not.

These senators are supposed to be Christians and therefore they must have read some scriptures from the Bible. Well, let me put it bluntly to them... open your Bibles to Matthew 7:2, “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” This scripture passage is in perfect tandem with the one we already wrote, “He who is without sin... let him cast the first stone.” Alas those so-called “sinless senators” did indeed cast the first stone!

One would think that this issue should already be behind us so we can all move forward. This is what we ought to do because we’re already sick and tired of ugly old politics. But hey... let me remind you that we’re in the Philippines where nothing hardly moves forward! For as long as those “holier-than-thou” senators avoid the Corona challenge, they will be haunted or should I say, “cursed” by the Corona challenge all the way to the next election. And mind you, it includes no less than the principal accuser himself... President Benigno Aquino III and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

Mind you, I did get a ton of email from many people from all over the world, from Filipinos who want justice done in our country. Some wanted Corona impeached... but not by those who impeached him for the simple reason that they are the wrong people to convict Corona. I did get my share of the hate mail too from obvious fans of P-Noy who claim to pray, but doesn’t even know or understand the word forgive. But here’s an interesting letter:

“Dear Mr. Avila, This term ‘sui generis’ has truly transformed into reality in the last impeachment case, when senator judges made their verdict though questions of obtaining evidence have been raised, but at the end sui generis or a class of its own has been used and so the man was convicted. That is part 1 of sui generis.

“The part 2 is this. It seems no one among the prosecutors and senator judges have taken the challenge to open their SALN through what they asked from the convicted - a waiver. Even the one who is perceived to be the proponent of this whole telenovela, the man in the Palace, is making flip-flopping comments regarding the opening of his accounts.

“That is why your article ‘Carpe Diem’ last Saturday, June 2, was very timely, but guess he would not, and all the minions around will voice out a lot of reasons why it should not be opened. To my simple mind the respondent was convicted because he was not true to his SALN. Now the ball is on the court of the accusers and judges and if they would not react accordingly then sui generis part 2 has truly been accomplished.

“Let the people be aware that this old politics is still in our midst even if there is this so-called Matuwid na Daan. Thank you and God bless our country. - Dr. Sonny Habacon.” In all honesty, I wanted to move away from this topic, but for as long as those sanctimonious senators refuse to be measured by the standard they measured CJ Corona, then we will never stop hounding them. For instance, I heard that there are senators living in palaces in Forbes Park. Can anyone of these senators explain their luxurious way of living?

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Congratulations to SM Prime Holdings on the occasion of the formal opening and blessing of the SM Consolacion, the municipality next to Mandaue City, which has become the bedroom community of Cebu and Mandaue cities. This is the second huge SM shopping complex that opened its doors to shoppers living from Consolacion and the other northern towns of Liloan, Compostela, Danao City and further on. This should cover that area north of Cebu City. Meanwhile construction is fast going on at the South Road Properties (SRP) of the so-called SM Seaside City.

Reading from the report of Edha Dagooc who interviewed SM Prime Holdings president Hans Sy, he announced during the SM Consolacion opening that the budget for the SM Seaside City has been raised from P6 billion to P8.5 billion and Mr. Sy pointed out that they intend to have this shopping complex as big as the Mall of Asia (MOA). This has a 150-meter high Iconic Viewing Tower. No doubt the addition of two huge SM shopping complexes, not to mention some smaller Hypermart stores, has contributed greatly to the surging Cebu economy. Congrats again to SM Prime Holdings.

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