Table 25
I had the privilege of being invited to Chief Justice Hilario G. Davide, Jr.'s retirement ball, held on the night of December 19, 2005 at the Manila Hotel; my service as one of his Court Attorneys for a year having merited me an invitation. By some stroke of fate, I found myself seated with people I used to read in the papers or whose names I've memorized in preparation for my Grade 2 social studies class. Although I initially thought it wasn't really a good idea to arrange the seating assignment of the Chief Justice's guests alphabetically, admittedly, I immensely enjoyed the company of my tablemates largely due to the privilege of participation to the conversation of this country's movers and shakers.
I arrived on time, a few minutes before 6:oo p.m., not daring to be late at the Chief Justice's Ball knowing his penchant for punctuality. Yet, I found myself among the first to arrive. Apparently, the Chief's retirement ceremonies at the Supreme Court Session Hall started late. Incidentally, it was attended by two past presidents, Corazon C. Aquino, Fidel V. Ramos (the other surviving past president is in a Tanay resthouse cum detention area, of course) and the incumbent, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, respectively. My fellow early birds, an elderly couple - the man dignified, and his wife, elegantly poised but relaxed - were ushered in by one of the Chief's staff to our table which is number 25. He introduced himself to me as Ambassador Tan, and conversely I introduced myself to him and his wife. It was only after minutes of interesting conversation when I realized I was talking to former BIR Commissioner Bienvenido Tan during the Aquino Administration. A graduate of the UP College of Law, batch 1948, he was obviously interested to hear what a batch 2001 graduate of the College of Law has to say. Others who joined the table were Washington SyCip, and several other people who, Ambassador Tan introduced as the Chairperson of the Children's Hour and some others who were members of the board of trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards. Last to join the table was former Secretary Juan Santos, one of the so-called "Hyatt 10" (ten cabinet members of President Arroyo who resigned mid-July and called for her resignation during a press conference at the Hyatt Casino, thus the name).
The Chief Justice's retirement ball commenced with a Rigodon de Honor, participated in by present and former justices of the Court. It actually was more like a fashion show rather than a dance, as the music did not match their steps. Before the dance started, however, the host announced the arrival of President Arroyo followed by an applause. From where we were seated, we could see heads swarming towards the President, prompting Mr. SyCip to remark that it is these kinds of warm reception to her (GMA) that deludes her into thinking that she has the support of the "people," to which Ambassador Tan retorted that he believes that she is aware of her unpopularity. He further declared that he himself wants her to go but he is not quite sure who should take her place. The President and the Chief Justice later on joined in the dance, a mere ten seconds, and then the departure of the President was announced. It was only after the President has left when Johnny Santos arrived to join our table.
Personally, my view, which I shared to them, is that in social gatherings, people do applaud and receive the President out of civility and politeness. I will daresay that even when angered, such occasion would call for a certain degree of civility so as not to cause any embarassment to the guest of honor, the host and the other guests. Nonetheless, I do recognize that Mr. SyCip do have a point - such public appearances are great opportunities to convey the people's sentiments, not by heckling or booing but by simply turning a cold shoulder on her. Still, I wouldn't blame those who were present to behave the way they did. Afterall, many of the justices present have been appointed by the President herself. In fact, the successor of Chief Justice Davide was merely hours away from being announced as the new Chief Justice - Artemio V. Panganiban.
Chief Justice Panganiban's appointment was accompanied by murmurs and whispering, imputing that such appointment was an accommodation extended by the President to return some favors. In Professor Teddy Te's blog Vincula, he wrote that he took Gloria Arroyo's reasons for appointing Justice Panganiban as a personal insult and that he was deeply offended by such appointment. His words spurred me into a self-examination as to my sentiments about the President and the then boiling, now simmering political crisis that struck our nation this year.
Truth is, I have been trying to avoid writing or saying much about the currect political situation in the Philippines. A certain degree of introspection would reveal that such avoidance is due to exasperation and frustration --- helplessness, that is the term, that something can be done, or should be done with the current situation we are in. It is not apathy. It is fatalism.
As a law school senior in 2001, I, along with most of the UP College of Law's population joined in the four-day EDSA Dos which culminated in Erap's ouster and GMA's ascent to power. We skipped our classes (well, most of our professors did too), trooped to EDSA on board the relatively new MRT, formed a human chain along vibrating Guadalupe suspension bridge and stubbed my toes to death amid the sea of relatively young people at the foot of the EDSA-Ortigas interchange. It was a great feeling being able to vent out my personal anger at the insult that someone as morally perverse as Erap Estrada, who doesn't even have the wit to feign his own handwriting to escape identification, is still sitting in office. At that time, it felt like my peace of mind and sense of pride will forever be lost if he was not ousted immediately.
This is a confession --- a confession of shame and regret over each and every time I turned a blind eye on anything that will run counter to my expression of rage and its eventual retribution - the lack of constitutional basis for the ascension of Vice President Gloria Arroyo into office, as well as her creeping grip and thrist for power as manifested when she reneged on her declaration on December 30, 2002 that she will not run in the 2004 presidential elections. I am gripped with shame whenever I recall how I along with countless others allowed the cunning Gloria Arroyo , nay, delivered to her on a silver platter the power to turn her back on the very principles that led to Erap's ouster. She became in her own way debase of the morals that we so detest of Erap.
Yes, I confess and feel remorse at each and every moment I thought that it is better for GMA to cheat rather than have FPJ as president. I feared that the gains of Edsa Dos will be negated and FPJ's victory will be Erap's victory as well. It is my folly and the follies of each and every person who thought the same way I did that catapulted Gloria Arroyo to the fortress that she has now, seemingly determined to hold on to intoxicating power in anyway she could.
I arrived on time, a few minutes before 6:oo p.m., not daring to be late at the Chief Justice's Ball knowing his penchant for punctuality. Yet, I found myself among the first to arrive. Apparently, the Chief's retirement ceremonies at the Supreme Court Session Hall started late. Incidentally, it was attended by two past presidents, Corazon C. Aquino, Fidel V. Ramos (the other surviving past president is in a Tanay resthouse cum detention area, of course) and the incumbent, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, respectively. My fellow early birds, an elderly couple - the man dignified, and his wife, elegantly poised but relaxed - were ushered in by one of the Chief's staff to our table which is number 25. He introduced himself to me as Ambassador Tan, and conversely I introduced myself to him and his wife. It was only after minutes of interesting conversation when I realized I was talking to former BIR Commissioner Bienvenido Tan during the Aquino Administration. A graduate of the UP College of Law, batch 1948, he was obviously interested to hear what a batch 2001 graduate of the College of Law has to say. Others who joined the table were Washington SyCip, and several other people who, Ambassador Tan introduced as the Chairperson of the Children's Hour and some others who were members of the board of trustees of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards. Last to join the table was former Secretary Juan Santos, one of the so-called "Hyatt 10" (ten cabinet members of President Arroyo who resigned mid-July and called for her resignation during a press conference at the Hyatt Casino, thus the name).
The Chief Justice's retirement ball commenced with a Rigodon de Honor, participated in by present and former justices of the Court. It actually was more like a fashion show rather than a dance, as the music did not match their steps. Before the dance started, however, the host announced the arrival of President Arroyo followed by an applause. From where we were seated, we could see heads swarming towards the President, prompting Mr. SyCip to remark that it is these kinds of warm reception to her (GMA) that deludes her into thinking that she has the support of the "people," to which Ambassador Tan retorted that he believes that she is aware of her unpopularity. He further declared that he himself wants her to go but he is not quite sure who should take her place. The President and the Chief Justice later on joined in the dance, a mere ten seconds, and then the departure of the President was announced. It was only after the President has left when Johnny Santos arrived to join our table.
Personally, my view, which I shared to them, is that in social gatherings, people do applaud and receive the President out of civility and politeness. I will daresay that even when angered, such occasion would call for a certain degree of civility so as not to cause any embarassment to the guest of honor, the host and the other guests. Nonetheless, I do recognize that Mr. SyCip do have a point - such public appearances are great opportunities to convey the people's sentiments, not by heckling or booing but by simply turning a cold shoulder on her. Still, I wouldn't blame those who were present to behave the way they did. Afterall, many of the justices present have been appointed by the President herself. In fact, the successor of Chief Justice Davide was merely hours away from being announced as the new Chief Justice - Artemio V. Panganiban.
Chief Justice Panganiban's appointment was accompanied by murmurs and whispering, imputing that such appointment was an accommodation extended by the President to return some favors. In Professor Teddy Te's blog Vincula, he wrote that he took Gloria Arroyo's reasons for appointing Justice Panganiban as a personal insult and that he was deeply offended by such appointment. His words spurred me into a self-examination as to my sentiments about the President and the then boiling, now simmering political crisis that struck our nation this year.
Truth is, I have been trying to avoid writing or saying much about the currect political situation in the Philippines. A certain degree of introspection would reveal that such avoidance is due to exasperation and frustration --- helplessness, that is the term, that something can be done, or should be done with the current situation we are in. It is not apathy. It is fatalism.
As a law school senior in 2001, I, along with most of the UP College of Law's population joined in the four-day EDSA Dos which culminated in Erap's ouster and GMA's ascent to power. We skipped our classes (well, most of our professors did too), trooped to EDSA on board the relatively new MRT, formed a human chain along vibrating Guadalupe suspension bridge and stubbed my toes to death amid the sea of relatively young people at the foot of the EDSA-Ortigas interchange. It was a great feeling being able to vent out my personal anger at the insult that someone as morally perverse as Erap Estrada, who doesn't even have the wit to feign his own handwriting to escape identification, is still sitting in office. At that time, it felt like my peace of mind and sense of pride will forever be lost if he was not ousted immediately.
This is a confession --- a confession of shame and regret over each and every time I turned a blind eye on anything that will run counter to my expression of rage and its eventual retribution - the lack of constitutional basis for the ascension of Vice President Gloria Arroyo into office, as well as her creeping grip and thrist for power as manifested when she reneged on her declaration on December 30, 2002 that she will not run in the 2004 presidential elections. I am gripped with shame whenever I recall how I along with countless others allowed the cunning Gloria Arroyo , nay, delivered to her on a silver platter the power to turn her back on the very principles that led to Erap's ouster. She became in her own way debase of the morals that we so detest of Erap.
Yes, I confess and feel remorse at each and every moment I thought that it is better for GMA to cheat rather than have FPJ as president. I feared that the gains of Edsa Dos will be negated and FPJ's victory will be Erap's victory as well. It is my folly and the follies of each and every person who thought the same way I did that catapulted Gloria Arroyo to the fortress that she has now, seemingly determined to hold on to intoxicating power in anyway she could.
It is ironic that, probably thinking ourselves as wise, we ousted the foolish Erap Estrada and resisted the presidency of another unlearned Fernando Poe, Jr. It is ironic because we didn't realize that the joke was on us, and she made a fool out of all of us indeed, until it was too late - yes, my friends, it's too late. It's too late because, GMA has weathered the strongest political storm yet in her career, now knowing that words or thoughts would not even nudge this country to move forward. Instead, I have come to the conclusion that the malady that afflicts this country is rooted in words - empty, pompous words that further buries each of us to this pit we are all in.
And so what are we going to do now? Oust Gloria Arroyo again the same way Erap was ousted? I say no. No because I will not allow another opportunity for someone to grab at power the same way she did, with greed and megalomania at that. I say let us just stick to the rules and insist on it - even when she's not. Let us allow her to finish her term and elect whomsoever we feel is fit for the presidency in 2010. On the other hand, let us be steadfast in standing by what is right, what is just. Let us oppose her attempts to stay in power by changing the form of government by voting in a plebescite against any such proposed amendment. In the meantime, I will not join any move to oust her when motives of these movers are dubious. No more instant solutions. We must learn from our mistakes, the mistake of trying to cure a mistake with another one.
In the meantime, rather than harping on GMA's follies, let us each do our part in trying to get out of the whole we are in - and there is no other way of doing it by doing what is just, what is right in everything we do, no matter how small it seems. Only when we do that, only when we stop resenting how we are the only ones who are striving to do what is right, when we will start feeling the ripples of change.
posted by wernicke @ 2:48:00 PM
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