Shivers down the spine

By Rolo B. Cena
Hushed Poppies
Dumaguete Star Informer
20 November 2011

The Tuesday hullabaloo, which was shot on location at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and which Malacanang tagged as “high drama” literally and figuratively sends a different kind of signal: political, if not at all constitutional, chaos!

While Justice Secretary Leila De Lima might have made a very popular and novel decision of denying the Arroyo’s travel access, the fact that a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) was issued by the Supreme Court in the latter’s favor matter-of-factly rendered her decision revocable.

Putting my two cents in, the Aquino administration has itself to blame for these!

Firstly, it’s now more than a year when Pres. Aquino articulated his commitment to hold the Arroyo’s and their cohorts accountable for plunder and electoral sabotage cases charged against them. Unfortunately, not even one has been finally docketed in any of the courts, which consequently slows down in putting his predecessors behind bars, assuming that a court for that matter will act in his favor.

In contrast, after being ousted for plunder, former Pres. Estrada was arrested and convicted after three months. Again, this makes Arroyo better off than him: swifter to decide sans the oral argument on the plausibility of the decision made.

The obvious delay and the uncalled-for press releases of Sec. De Lima and Pres. Aquino most often gave the Arroyo’s the tactical mechanism to maneuver around the justice system and to leave the country. As Sen. Ping Lacson puts it, Sec. De Lima did noting but conducts press releases for her works and never comes up with finality. De Lima’s “lame excuses,” and her many attempts to, places her in bad light and thus makes her useless and unworthy to be in the cubicle of the lame man of the Palace. Truly, she has won for her the title of a photographer-friendly cabinet stuff of the century.

Secondly, the “open defiance” of the feisty Sec. De Lima purports a behavior that is totally disgraceful to the legal profession. The issue on travel ban becomes pointless at this juncture as it was overshadowed by the lame intention to disobey the High Tribunal. Sec. De Lima, a Human Rights lawyer and advocate profoundly defied the order of the Court; she brandished the supremacy of her Department over the High Court, which is tantamount to contempt.

Assuming De Lima has reservations on the TRO, as a lawyer she would have dutifully checked with the High Court to find out if indeed a TRO was issued; assuming that she has suspicion on the issued TRO, as the Secretary of Justice she would have dutifully verified with the High Court if indeed the TRO was truly executory, assuming that this is logically coherent. To reason that a motion for reconsideration is yet to be filed by her team is apparently illogical and professionally unreasonable. As far as I know, correct me if I am wrong, a TRO issued by the High Court is executory. And what stops her from acting on it?

Assuming that De Lima and Aquino’s political junctions meet at one point or lay on the same plane of thought on the issue, is this not causing political chaos? Does anyone of them deserve another treat of respect?

A cabinet secretary defying the orders of the High Court is rhetorically sending the shivers down the spine of the Aquino Administration; more excruciating than the shivers to leave the country one hour, one Tuesday to conceivably escape the prosecution; and more throbbing than the shivers down Gloria’s spine!

All hail to a feisty woman but where is the lame man behind the tall orders? Oh boy, what happens to the big mouth?