ON THE SUPREME COURT CHIEF JUSTICE CORONA IMPEACHMENT TRIAL

Two of our friend journalists have different views on the fate of SC Chief Justice Corona. One of the nation's respected journalists and bloggers, Ellen Tordesillas predicts that Corona will be convicted. 

Manuel Buencamino, a columnist for Business Mirror, in a comment in Ellen's blog writes, "Corona will be acquitted. Sana mali ako but the guardians of corruption are legion."  

Ms Tordesillas' writes:

"The walkout by Supreme Court Justice Renato Corona sealed his fate: he will be convicted.  

"During his three-hour narration, wherein he didn’t mince words against those he perceived were maligning him including President Aquino, whom he scornfully referred to as “hacienderong Pangulo”, he kept on complaining about his detractors undermining the rule law and bastardizing due process.   

"“Binababoy nila ang proseso ng Saligang Batas para yurakan ang aking mga karapatan,” he said.  

"As chief justice, Corona should be the embodiment of the rule of law. His office enforces judicial code of conduct and the Code of Professional Responsibility for lawyers. He knows that a witness, which he was on May 22, does not leave the witness stand without being discharged by the Presiding judge.  Yet,acting imperial, he declared:“And now, the Chief Justice of the Republic of the Philippines wishes to be excused.” He left the witness stand and walked out of the courtroom. He didn’t wait to be excused."

For the complete report: Ellen Tordesillas Blog

Our view from abroad? The impeachment trial of Chief Justice Corona has been a good democratic showcase but it has also left an indellible corrupted mark on our political system and on our justice system entailing the risk that the rest of the free world will not find it easy to believe that they can fully trust our political and justice systems again -- at least not for a long time.  

Even if he is acquitted, Mr Corona must resign. This impeachment trial, rightly or wrongly, has exposed some of the dirtiest laundries from his professional and personal domains. The chief justice of a nation's supreme court cannot preside over the highest court of the land with a record such as his and remain credible in the eyes of the nation and the world. There is no other recourse but for Mr Corona to leave, hoping that his departure will save the Supreme Court -- and the justice system, from further indignity.

Perception may not be everything but it plays an important part in how many of the official quarters in the rest of the free world decide whether to trust us or not.

  

*Photo credit: Impeachment Watch News

US "Diplomatic Speak" over Philippine Scarborough Shoal Dispute with China

According to anc.abs-cbnnews.com, the "US won't take sides in PH-China dispute" The news station was emphatic: "The US will honor its mutual defense treaty with the PH, but it will not take sides in the Scarborough Shoal standoff between Manila and Beijing."

To us, Defenders of the Philippine Sabah and Spratly Claims, "diplomatic speak" is what the US is doing at the moment. The US cannot proclaim loud and clear that it will stand by the Philippines over the Scarborough Shoal (nor over any of the disputed territories by the West Philippine Sea) because it would do the Philippines no good at all to proclaim at this point that they [the US] might have to come to our defence should our sovereignty be violated by China. What we are not seeing is what they are doing through diplomatic channels, i.e., with the DFA through their Embassy in Manila. Moreover, we must see/read between the lines: the US is overtly doing Balikatan exercises with our troops and that is enough signal to send to China and to foreign powers that are thinking of threatening our sovereignty to be careful.

However, there is a caveat, if you like, an important provision in the RP-US Mutual Defence Treaty: The US will act in accordance to the treaty should any of its physical interests in the Philippines is directly hit by a potential foreign aggressor. Otherwise, the US will not lift a finger overtly despite the Treaty. Rest assured that it's easy enough to go around that caveat should things escalate.

We are pleased to note that the members of the Akbayan Party (left wing anti-US but pro-China ideologues), shown in picture, are keen to display their sense of Philippine patriotism against aggressive Red China. Bravo!


NB: If you have a Facebook account, you can join and participate in the ongoing discussions about the Philippines-China dispute over the Scarborough Shoal at the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum on Facebook.

KEEP CHINA OUT OF THE SCARBOROUGH SHOALS! MODERNISE OUR AIR AND NAVAL FORCES NOW!

According to a report by Marco Santino on the Modernize the Philippine Navy Page on Facebook Modernize the Philippine Navy on Faceboo: 

The government has recieved $1.4 billion dollars from Malampaya revenue last year. The President should have a special power to tap this fund to buy credible patrol ships, air defense radar, maritime patrol ships and fighter jets immediately to boost our defense against bully nations. Imagine $26 trillion dollars according to Manila Bulletin.
That s why China is so eager to grab this territory. The 1.4 Billion is so small compare to the huge wealth this gas field will give to our country. Its not too late, but the government should act quickly on this. For future generations of Filipinos. Act now please...

The Philippines needs to re-focus, if not shift its defence doctrine from internal security to defence against external threats (which had been the basis of the AFP Modernisation Law to begin with) to ward off or at the very least guard our territory against these irritating foreign bully tactics. There is an absolute need to acquire more naval assets to patrol the West Philippine Sea.

It is primordial to patrol our coastal areas relentlessly short of physically occupying them if they are inhospitable. It is common sense that our house runs less risks of being broken into if someone is in the house. Even the Chinese would be hard put to jerk our military operatives stationed on our shoals or if these shoals were guarded/patrolled.

Our air assets must be modernised as well... they are needed to provide air cover and at the same time do patrol exercises. They will serve as useful deterrence against incursion into our territorial waters.

Modernising our navy and our air force is not a declaration of intent to engage in a shooting war with China forces. Not at all. It is a show of our determination to keep what is ours and if anything at all, modernising these two components of our armed forces will serve as deterrence against potential external threats.

ONE BILLION DOLLARS can easily provide the cash outlays needed for procurement of a few bottoms and their retrofittings which I reckon will be required if we buy second hands. We don't need to go for frigates if the acquisition rationale is to provide navy with patrol powers. Corvettes with 30mm guns (with modern FCS) will be sufficient for the time being. What we need are bottoms, plenty of bottoms!

Another billion dollars can easily provide us the cash outlay needed for the procurement of a squadron of F-16. Even if we start the procurment today, remember that the equipment will not be deliverable before a couple of years at the very earliest. So act now!

SCARBOROUGH SHOAL BELONGS TO THE PHILIPPINES

Why is bully China trying to expand towards Philippine territory? Doesn't make sense! Before you know it, they would be claiming the Philippine province of Zambales next!

Even an untrained Chihuahua will see that the Panatag shoal is just a few miles from the Philippine baseline shores (never mind the 200 mile EEZ!) than it will ever be to the nearest China coastline.

And now we've learned that Malacanang websites are under attack by suspected Chinese hackers!

The Philippines must, for the sake of peace — yes, FOR the sake of peace, MODERNISE OUR NAVY AND OUR AIR FORCE… The Philippines MUST PHYSICALLY OCCUPY our shoals or at the very least relentlessly patrol them (if the shoals are inhospitable)… But we cannot physically establish ownership of our shoals found within a few miles of our shore (part and parcel of the Philippine regime of islands) without the means to occupy and to guard them so we must modernise our navy and our air force.

This is in no way a declaration of intent to engage China in a shooting war but for goodness sake it is common sense that your home has less risk of being broken into and looted when they know it is inhabited. The same common sense applies to the shoals no matter how some detractors think that China is Lord and Master to all or that it’s useless to even try to do something…

China will be hard put to jerk military occupants from our shoals and islets and throw them into the sea even if they have the military means far superior than ours — politically, it will be international suicide to do something of the kind and the Chinese, bullies as they may seem to us, will care about international backlash!

Google image courtesy of Romerson San Diego, member Philippine Sabah Claim Forum on Facebook.

Join the Defenders of the Philippine Sabah and Spratly Claims on Facebook

SABAH CLAIM: SENATOR JOVITO SALONGA's LESSONS IN PATRIOTISM AND THE RULE OF LAW

By Anne de Bretagne in PHILIPPINE SABAH CLAIM FORUM · 

There are some natives of this country, the Philippines, who have decided that the Philippine Sabah claim is either too difficult or is not at all valid. I call those people, while undoubtedly and wholly patriotic, the disciples of Senator Lorenzo Sumulong, the senator who once berated the Philippine government over the Republic's Sabah claim.

To help the "doubting Thomases" or the "Senator Lorenzo Sumulong disciples" among us understand where we are coming from, allow me to re-post here the speech by the Father of the Philippine Sabah Claim, Senator Jovito Salonga rebutting the accusations made by Senator Lorenzo Sumulong in which the good Senator [Sumulong] berated "...the merit and validity of the Republic's claim, accusing his own Government of gross ignorance and holding in unbelievable disdain the Philippine position on the British-sponsored Malaysia plan. He has chosen to assault the Philippine position at a time when his own Government, by virtue of the British request, may be said to be somewhat helpless in making, right in our own country, an adequate, fully-documented defense of the Philippine stand. "

NB: The Admins of the Philippine Sabah Claim Forum (PSCF) as well as the administrators of the Defenders of the Philippine Sabah and Spratly Claims recommend the reading of this beautiful speech not only for its wonderful use of the English language and logic but also because it tells us not to fold our arms in mortal fear!

The points raised by the illustrious Senator Salonga were relevant 50 years ago, they are still relevant today and will be relevant tomorrow. Enjoy! 

http://www.scribd.com/doc/81191914/A-Point-by-Point-Reply-to-Senator-Sumulong-s-Speech-on-the-Philippines-North-Borneo-Sabah-Claim

ABOUT TROUBLED SOUTHERN PHILIPPINES

WE MUST TELL OUR GOVERNMENT THAT MALAYSIA IS NOT OUR FRIEND

By Anne de Bretagne

Philippine Sabah Claim Forum

Defenders of Philippine Sabah and Spratly Claims

26 March 2012

One of the reasons, we were told why the Philippines is not too keen about raising the Sabah claim with Malaysia is that it would be for naught because our Muslim brothers will not side with the Philippine Republic against Malaysia on the strength of the belief that Muslims will not fight Muslims. This is utter hypocrisy (or worse, of total ignorance.) The truth is Muslims have been at each other's throats in Southern Philippines, hence, Muslims do fight Muslims (just as Christians fight Christians)!!!

Read for yourself: MNLF, MILF forces nagsagupaan! Sunday, March 25, 2012 03:09:13 PM http://www.mindanaoexaminer.com/news.php?news_id=20120325030913

If only our Government were not too busy trying to appease Malaysia in the guise of placating the MILF (kuno), they would see that it would do our own Muslim population in Southern Philippines a greater deal of good by brokering a peace treaty between two warring (and rebel) groups, i.e., MNLF and MILF. Brokering peace between the two could just be more beneficial to the Republic than peacenicking with Malaysia. 

Does our Government really believe that appeasing Malaysia while the spectre of Sabah is alive will guarantee peace in Mindanao? Not a chance -- not on Dean Marvic Leonen's life!!! 

Whereas brokering peace between two formidable Muslim groups who are Filipinos (whether they like it or not, MILF, MNLF, etc., they travel with Philippine passports so they are Filipinos) with Sabah in perspective can very well work for the Republic. So why continue to fool ourselves that peace will be achieved in Mindanao with the MILF separatist group on the mere say so of Malaysia? 

Our Government has to be bold -- must take off their blinders once and for all: for as long as the Sabah issue has not been settled, Malaysia will do everything in its power to stir trouble in the South so that the Republic won't have the material time to claim Sabah. 

The best thing to do is to take these warring Filipino Muslims on side, dangle the Sabah claim before their eyes and encourage them to look at things from a different angle, i.e., the spectre of a common national enemy who has been at the forefront of our Mindanao troubles since the early 1970s. The Filipino nation is not the enemy of the Muslims of Mindanao BUT the Malaysians are. 

The young ones must be reminded that Malaysia supported, encouraged and funded the MNLF (from whose ranks the MILF sprung) to fight a secessionist movement against the Philippine Republic.

Has our government forgotten that no less than the former prime ministers of Malaysia (with Mahathir being the quintessential thinker later on) had been the de facto architect of the Muslim war against the Philippines and that their successors today have continued their vision? That Najib Razak, current Malaysia Prime Minister and son of Tunku Abdul Razak (former Malaysia PM himself and an enemy of the Philippines personified) will continue that legacy of destruction of Muslim Mindanao?

Our government must wake up: Either the Republic finally gives up Sabah formally and legally or it must accept that Malaysia is not our friend. But our Government cannot be so blind, cannot continue spending resources that we have little of, continue antagonising the growing generation of Muslim Filipinos and believe that Malaysia is a friend! Bullocks! Malaysia is and can never be a friend -- not for as long as we stake our claim over Sabah. Malaysia is not a friend, well... NOT UNLESS YOU ACCEPT THAT A FRIEND WISHES YOUR DEATH!

The Mindanao Examiner

mindanaoexaminer.com

COTABATO CITY (Mindanao Examiner / Mar. 25, 2012) Sumiklab na naman ang sigalot sa pagitan ng magkaaway na lider ng Moro National Liberation Front at Moro Islamic Liberation Front sa North Cotabato sa magulong rehiyon ng Mindanao. Matagal ng may alitan sina Commander Teo ng MNLF at Commander Kari…