The threat of justice must have been too much for Merceditas Gutierrez to bear. Although a conviction through an impeachment trial was a desired outcome, the Black and White Movement joins our country in welcoming her resignation.
We are pleased that a major obstacle on the “daan na matuwid” has been removed. We expect the implications of her resignation to chill the hearts of Gutierrez’s former boss, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, her family and her allies accused of corruption. There will now be fewer places for them to hide, less opportunity to thwart accountability.
We exhort President Aquino to continue clearing the way to righteousness by appointing an impartial, credible person of unquestionable integrity to the Office of the Ombudsman as soon as possible. And it would be right and just that her subordinates resign in solidarity with Ms. Gutierrez to give the new Ombudsman the latitude to appoint fresh, enthusiastic and competent legal eagles.
We pray that the new Ombudsman will work with haste to restore honor to the office and grant justice to those who yearn for it – Jun Lozada, the family of Ensign Philip Pestano, the farmers bilked by the Fertilizer Fund Scam, the complainants in the Mega Pacific Deal, the AFP in the matter of the Euro Generals Scandal, among so many others.
Now, indeed, justice and fairness will prevail. - END
Friday, April 29, 2011
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Letter from Rene Saguisag to VP Jojo Binay
As sent via email to the Black & White Movement:
Dear Veep Jojo:
After an absence of 31/2 years, despite my being unwell, dealing with health and emotional issues, I have appeared in person in more than one TV network on Marcos and the Libingan, a hot potato PNoy tossed to you. Soon, you will have to choose between being principled or pragmatic.
I do hope we in MABINI can meet soon, and see whether like two meetings ago, it looked like we had been transformed (not transmogrified) into MaBinay for 1916. But, your handling of the issue may help us judge with finality whether you have what it takes.
Petain was a great French Hero in WW I. He is remembered for the Battle of Verdun ("they shall not pass") but was discredited in World War for his role in the Vichy Government. He died in prison in 1951. I am not aware of any talk to move him to the French pantheon. The kinder forgiving Pinoy simply drove FM to exile.
I am flooded with texts asking that I text my position to you. It is widespread. I even got a taxt this morning from the U.S.with the same message. You seem to be adopting an SWS approach, that of Mahar Mangahas, with whom you and I would play basketball a long time ago in St. Scho. Do not trench on Mahar's turf. PNoy did not ask you to conduct a poll. You cannot say "the people made me do it." When we voted NO on the bases in 1991, the polls did not matter; we defied public opinion and chose to be on the right side of history, in our view.
I am reminded of Burke saying that a leader owes us "not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays it instead of serving [us] if he sacrifices it to [our] opinion." You should not sense where the public is going and then jump there, ahead, as leader.
We, MABINI remnants, await your position and guidance NOW. Principled, not pragmatic. Leadership.
Jojo, pakitandaan ang ating dinanas nuong umiiral pa ang walang habag na batas militar. Gigiyagisin kami ng dalamhati pag ikaw ay nagtaksil sa iyong kauri.
But, OK, in the real world out there, you can marry principle and pragmatism by a change in name: LIBINGAN NG MGA BAYANI AT PANGULO, preserving the disjunction. You won't be competing with pollsters, either.
Ang katoto mo sa MABINI at kapwa mo Makateno.
Rene Saguisag
UIOGD
Dear Veep Jojo:
After an absence of 31/2 years, despite my being unwell, dealing with health and emotional issues, I have appeared in person in more than one TV network on Marcos and the Libingan, a hot potato PNoy tossed to you. Soon, you will have to choose between being principled or pragmatic.
I do hope we in MABINI can meet soon, and see whether like two meetings ago, it looked like we had been transformed (not transmogrified) into MaBinay for 1916. But, your handling of the issue may help us judge with finality whether you have what it takes.
Petain was a great French Hero in WW I. He is remembered for the Battle of Verdun ("they shall not pass") but was discredited in World War for his role in the Vichy Government. He died in prison in 1951. I am not aware of any talk to move him to the French pantheon. The kinder forgiving Pinoy simply drove FM to exile.
I am flooded with texts asking that I text my position to you. It is widespread. I even got a taxt this morning from the U.S.with the same message. You seem to be adopting an SWS approach, that of Mahar Mangahas, with whom you and I would play basketball a long time ago in St. Scho. Do not trench on Mahar's turf. PNoy did not ask you to conduct a poll. You cannot say "the people made me do it." When we voted NO on the bases in 1991, the polls did not matter; we defied public opinion and chose to be on the right side of history, in our view.
I am reminded of Burke saying that a leader owes us "not his industry only, but his judgment; and he betrays it instead of serving [us] if he sacrifices it to [our] opinion." You should not sense where the public is going and then jump there, ahead, as leader.
We, MABINI remnants, await your position and guidance NOW. Principled, not pragmatic. Leadership.
Jojo, pakitandaan ang ating dinanas nuong umiiral pa ang walang habag na batas militar. Gigiyagisin kami ng dalamhati pag ikaw ay nagtaksil sa iyong kauri.
But, OK, in the real world out there, you can marry principle and pragmatism by a change in name: LIBINGAN NG MGA BAYANI AT PANGULO, preserving the disjunction. You won't be competing with pollsters, either.
Ang katoto mo sa MABINI at kapwa mo Makateno.
Rene Saguisag
UIOGD
Sunday, March 20, 2011
KARMA
It is unfortunate that supporters of the past administration seem to be using underhanded tactics like text messages purportedly from the House majority alleging zero “pork” in exchange for an oust Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrrez vote. The House minority leadership has alleged that the administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III is “more preoccupied with arrogating more power for itself, in undermining our democracy, than in addressing matters that really matter to the people.”
The Black and White Movement strongly disagrees. In our view, the present government, despite being hamstrung by landmines left in place by the former president, is dedicated to eradicating corruption; this is a paramount aim, meant to restore faith in institutions damaged by corruption and inaction such as the office of the Ombudsman. Addressing matters of dishonesty and nonfeasance in the last administration is a significant step forward. The Filipino people must get the justice it deserves just as much as the accused.
We support the Aquino government’s drive to achieve accountability from the former political leadership that blocked it at every turn for over nine years. We believe in the preponderance of evidence against the Ombudsman. We believe that the appointment of a new Ombudsman will clear the way to finally getting accountability from other corrupt individuals and groups.
We exhort our government to do all it can to eradicate corruption. We are all deserving of a government we can trust, of responsible and transparent leadership. It is time to give those that have been accused their right to just desserts. After all, the Filipino people are entitled to some good karma.
The Black and White Movement strongly disagrees. In our view, the present government, despite being hamstrung by landmines left in place by the former president, is dedicated to eradicating corruption; this is a paramount aim, meant to restore faith in institutions damaged by corruption and inaction such as the office of the Ombudsman. Addressing matters of dishonesty and nonfeasance in the last administration is a significant step forward. The Filipino people must get the justice it deserves just as much as the accused.
We support the Aquino government’s drive to achieve accountability from the former political leadership that blocked it at every turn for over nine years. We believe in the preponderance of evidence against the Ombudsman. We believe that the appointment of a new Ombudsman will clear the way to finally getting accountability from other corrupt individuals and groups.
We exhort our government to do all it can to eradicate corruption. We are all deserving of a government we can trust, of responsible and transparent leadership. It is time to give those that have been accused their right to just desserts. After all, the Filipino people are entitled to some good karma.
Monday, February 14, 2011
FSGO: The Death of Gen. Angelo Reyes and the Meaning of Public Office is a Public Trust
This statement by Former Senior Government Officials points out the proper perspective from which to understand the circumstances around the death of former Gen. Angelo Reyes and its connection to corruption:
Friday, 11 February 2011 15:30
Unlike other cultures, our Filipino culture does not accord suicides by public figures one clear and definitive meaning. Thus the message of a Filipino dying in public by his own hand often ends up being contested, improvised and twisted by various interested parties. And so it is with the tragic death of General Angelo Reyes. Did he put a bullet through his heart in an ultimate admission of personal responsibility for whatever wrong he had committed? Or was his willful termination of his own life a sublime act of protest to assert his innocence against unfair yet unremitting persecution?
The death of someone like Gen. Reyes who served our country for most of his life deserves our respect, prayers and reflection. This is a tragedy to one person, to his family and to many who believed and admired him for his personal, professional and public life. For his fellow Filipinos that Gen. Reyes left behind, his chosen timing and manner of exiting the public stage and this mortal world challenges us to seek some meaning and purpose from such a tragic loss. We, former senior government officials, choose to see the death of Gen. Reyes in the light of the principle that public office is a public trust.
1. We find no honor in a death without meaning to the welfare of our nation.
Gen. Angelo Reyes took his own life in the midst of an investigation that exposed the corruption within the command structure of our military, corruption that had tainted him. For whom did Gen. Reyes die? If he died to escape the consequences of his involvement, or to put a lid on further revelations, or worse, to become a sacrificial lamb for all others more tainted than he, his was not an honourable death. The smug faces of unpunished corruption that visited his wake only further dishonour him. If, on the other hand, his death inspires our leaders to finally clean up the corrupt system in the military that ensnared him, he might yet be the last soldier to die in our people's war against corruption. Gen. Reyes may have died by his own hand, but in truth, corruption killed him. As we pray for the forgiveness of his sins, we hope that his blood spilled on his mother’s grave will begin the cleansing of his beloved AFP, the government he protected and the nation he served.
The death of Reyes should not be wished upon anyone, not even the Garcias, the Ligots, and other alleged recipients of military graft, or even their alleged real protectors. That would be unchristian. But perhaps these lost souls in the people's war against corruption should be reminded that moral death is as tragic as physical death. And the suffering will be much longer.
2. The investigation into high level corruption in the military should continue.
Gen. Reyes’ death could not and should not be blamed upon our legislators, no matter how hurtful their statements may have been. While more civility and courtesy could mark our congressional investigations, and invited "guests" to these proceedings could be treated better by their "hosts", it must be clear by now that these legislative inquiries serve a vital function in democratic governance. Thus far, the truth about high level corruption has obviously and apparently not been brought forth by agencies charged with this function. Neither the police, the NBI, the Ombudsman, nor the courts have shown any talent nor interest to bring forth to our people the truth about corruption at the highest levels of our government.
Despite their rantings and distractions during these public hearings, our senators and congressmen have been able to put names, faces, numbers and dates to the corruption that every citizen knows infects our officialdom.
We continue to regard George Rabusa and Heidi Mendoza as heroes in our people's war against corruption. They have nothing to be ashamed about in this tragedy. Mendoza has apparently always been honorable in the discharge of her functions, while Rabusa had to confront and acknowledge his own sins in order to retrieve his own lost honor by finally telling the truth.
We ask Commodore Rex Robles and the others who have special knowledge of the facts concerning corruption in the military that they pay their respects to Gen. Reyes by coming out with the truth, rather than expecting others to do their work for them. Truth telling is the responsibility of everyone who knows the truth.
3. Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez must go.
The Ombudsman can no longer sustain her pretense that moves to oust her are merely partisan efforts by the critics of Gloria Arroyo. There is nothing partisan about our people's nearly universal desire to have a new beginning in the Office of the Ombudsman. The whole nation wants its government to move along the tuwid na daan and this incumbent Ombudsman is one of the biggest boulders on their way. Everybody wants this boulder out. She no longer has any excuse for trying to stay.
We remind the Supreme Court, and other lawyers, that in deciding the case on the impeachment of Merceditas Gutierrez, their final responsibility is not to search for arcane legal principles that would find fault in the effort, but to join the Filipino people in ridding ourselves of this boulder along our path towards a righteous and just Philippines.
The death of Gen. Reyes reminds us that corruption kills. Most often, it kills poor Filipinos with hunger, disease, disaster or crime because the money meant to help or protect them was stolen. It kills soldiers whose bullets ran out, whose guns fail, whose trucks ran out of gasoline, whose aircraft crashed due to poor maintenance, all because someone stole the money for their needs. Sometime, corruption kills those that partake of its evil fruit.
The death of Gen. Reyes is finally a reminder that public office is a public trust. Those who occupy public office shall be held accountable, by our laws when possible; by public opinion, when necessary; by history, eventually; or by individual conscience, ultimately.
Friday, 11 February 2011 15:30
Unlike other cultures, our Filipino culture does not accord suicides by public figures one clear and definitive meaning. Thus the message of a Filipino dying in public by his own hand often ends up being contested, improvised and twisted by various interested parties. And so it is with the tragic death of General Angelo Reyes. Did he put a bullet through his heart in an ultimate admission of personal responsibility for whatever wrong he had committed? Or was his willful termination of his own life a sublime act of protest to assert his innocence against unfair yet unremitting persecution?
The death of someone like Gen. Reyes who served our country for most of his life deserves our respect, prayers and reflection. This is a tragedy to one person, to his family and to many who believed and admired him for his personal, professional and public life. For his fellow Filipinos that Gen. Reyes left behind, his chosen timing and manner of exiting the public stage and this mortal world challenges us to seek some meaning and purpose from such a tragic loss. We, former senior government officials, choose to see the death of Gen. Reyes in the light of the principle that public office is a public trust.
1. We find no honor in a death without meaning to the welfare of our nation.
Gen. Angelo Reyes took his own life in the midst of an investigation that exposed the corruption within the command structure of our military, corruption that had tainted him. For whom did Gen. Reyes die? If he died to escape the consequences of his involvement, or to put a lid on further revelations, or worse, to become a sacrificial lamb for all others more tainted than he, his was not an honourable death. The smug faces of unpunished corruption that visited his wake only further dishonour him. If, on the other hand, his death inspires our leaders to finally clean up the corrupt system in the military that ensnared him, he might yet be the last soldier to die in our people's war against corruption. Gen. Reyes may have died by his own hand, but in truth, corruption killed him. As we pray for the forgiveness of his sins, we hope that his blood spilled on his mother’s grave will begin the cleansing of his beloved AFP, the government he protected and the nation he served.
The death of Reyes should not be wished upon anyone, not even the Garcias, the Ligots, and other alleged recipients of military graft, or even their alleged real protectors. That would be unchristian. But perhaps these lost souls in the people's war against corruption should be reminded that moral death is as tragic as physical death. And the suffering will be much longer.
2. The investigation into high level corruption in the military should continue.
Gen. Reyes’ death could not and should not be blamed upon our legislators, no matter how hurtful their statements may have been. While more civility and courtesy could mark our congressional investigations, and invited "guests" to these proceedings could be treated better by their "hosts", it must be clear by now that these legislative inquiries serve a vital function in democratic governance. Thus far, the truth about high level corruption has obviously and apparently not been brought forth by agencies charged with this function. Neither the police, the NBI, the Ombudsman, nor the courts have shown any talent nor interest to bring forth to our people the truth about corruption at the highest levels of our government.
Despite their rantings and distractions during these public hearings, our senators and congressmen have been able to put names, faces, numbers and dates to the corruption that every citizen knows infects our officialdom.
We continue to regard George Rabusa and Heidi Mendoza as heroes in our people's war against corruption. They have nothing to be ashamed about in this tragedy. Mendoza has apparently always been honorable in the discharge of her functions, while Rabusa had to confront and acknowledge his own sins in order to retrieve his own lost honor by finally telling the truth.
We ask Commodore Rex Robles and the others who have special knowledge of the facts concerning corruption in the military that they pay their respects to Gen. Reyes by coming out with the truth, rather than expecting others to do their work for them. Truth telling is the responsibility of everyone who knows the truth.
3. Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez must go.
The Ombudsman can no longer sustain her pretense that moves to oust her are merely partisan efforts by the critics of Gloria Arroyo. There is nothing partisan about our people's nearly universal desire to have a new beginning in the Office of the Ombudsman. The whole nation wants its government to move along the tuwid na daan and this incumbent Ombudsman is one of the biggest boulders on their way. Everybody wants this boulder out. She no longer has any excuse for trying to stay.
We remind the Supreme Court, and other lawyers, that in deciding the case on the impeachment of Merceditas Gutierrez, their final responsibility is not to search for arcane legal principles that would find fault in the effort, but to join the Filipino people in ridding ourselves of this boulder along our path towards a righteous and just Philippines.
The death of Gen. Reyes reminds us that corruption kills. Most often, it kills poor Filipinos with hunger, disease, disaster or crime because the money meant to help or protect them was stolen. It kills soldiers whose bullets ran out, whose guns fail, whose trucks ran out of gasoline, whose aircraft crashed due to poor maintenance, all because someone stole the money for their needs. Sometime, corruption kills those that partake of its evil fruit.
The death of Gen. Reyes is finally a reminder that public office is a public trust. Those who occupy public office shall be held accountable, by our laws when possible; by public opinion, when necessary; by history, eventually; or by individual conscience, ultimately.
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Busina Sa Katotohanan - Alay kay Heidi, George and Sonny
Dear colleagues,
It's time we unfurl the old streamers! People need to express disgust on military top brass' corruption and plunder and the connivance of state prosecutors. More importantly, people need to express support for Heidi Mendoza and other whistle-blowers such as Col. George Rabusa and Col. Sonny Lim, who now, like Jun Lozada before them, are fearing for their and their families' lives for telling the truth.
We also need to sustain media attention on this until the guilty get punished and end the culture of impunity!
Busina sa Katotohanan invites you to a noise barrage at Gate 2.5 of Ateneo de Manila University along Katipunan Road, 5:00PM, tomorrow, Friday, 4 February. Please wear black or white and bring your placards, whistles, gongs, and friends!
Sincerely,
Soc Banzuela
Co-convener, BnW/Busina sa Katotohanan
Busina sa Katotohanan was formed the day NBN-ZTE scandal whistle-blower Jun Lozada appeared on TV, surrounded by the religious community and fearing for his life, courageously told the truth. Some sixty people from PAKISAMA, PhilDHRRA, CODE-NGO, Akbayan, BnW and friends from Ateneo de Manila University immediately gathered at 5PM in front of Gate 2.5 of Ateneo de Manila U along Katipunan Ave. and the string of noise barrages began. The rest was history.
It's time we unfurl the old streamers! People need to express disgust on military top brass' corruption and plunder and the connivance of state prosecutors. More importantly, people need to express support for Heidi Mendoza and other whistle-blowers such as Col. George Rabusa and Col. Sonny Lim, who now, like Jun Lozada before them, are fearing for their and their families' lives for telling the truth.
We also need to sustain media attention on this until the guilty get punished and end the culture of impunity!
Busina sa Katotohanan invites you to a noise barrage at Gate 2.5 of Ateneo de Manila University along Katipunan Road, 5:00PM, tomorrow, Friday, 4 February. Please wear black or white and bring your placards, whistles, gongs, and friends!
Sincerely,
Soc Banzuela
Co-convener, BnW/Busina sa Katotohanan
Busina sa Katotohanan was formed the day NBN-ZTE scandal whistle-blower Jun Lozada appeared on TV, surrounded by the religious community and fearing for his life, courageously told the truth. Some sixty people from PAKISAMA, PhilDHRRA, CODE-NGO, Akbayan, BnW and friends from Ateneo de Manila University immediately gathered at 5PM in front of Gate 2.5 of Ateneo de Manila U along Katipunan Ave. and the string of noise barrages began. The rest was history.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
MABUHAY KA, ENTENG!
The true measure of a man as public servant is to put integrity above all else.
Vicente R. Romano III, or Enteng, as we call him, convened the Black and White Movement in 2005 to demand accountability and transparency from the government regarding shocking allegations of cheating by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the 2004 elections. Throughout the next five years, Enteng led us with sage counsel and kept us resolute in our quest for positive change, responsible and good governance.
After the successful presidential campaign of then Senator Benigno S. Aquino III, Enteng was invited by the President to serve in the new government as Department of Tourism Under Secretary for Planning and Promotions. We wished Enteng well as he took a leave of absence. Sadly, what we all hoped would be a successful stint in the DOT for Enteng came to an abrupt end yesterday.
Enteng’s resignation over the brouhaha created by his being, as he says, “in a hurry to see change happen in the motherland we all love” was not really a surprise to us. He lives by the Black and White Movement creed, the panata, he wrote, to quote in part - magbigay ng oras, talino at yaman sa ikabubuti ng kapwa… ako ay maninindigan para sa katotohanan, katarungan, at makabuluhang pagbabago. It was therefore natural for him to take full responsibility for his actions, be accountable to the people, and keep on the straight and narrow path of truth.
We, the conveners and the three thousand members of the Black and White Movement and Black and White Youth Movement laud the selfless act of our lead convener. Enteng has raised the bar of public service to a standard we must require as a matter of course from all public servants. We expect nothing less from our leaders.
We proudly welcome Enteng back into our fold. Mabuhay ka, Enteng!
Vicente R. Romano III, or Enteng, as we call him, convened the Black and White Movement in 2005 to demand accountability and transparency from the government regarding shocking allegations of cheating by Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the 2004 elections. Throughout the next five years, Enteng led us with sage counsel and kept us resolute in our quest for positive change, responsible and good governance.
After the successful presidential campaign of then Senator Benigno S. Aquino III, Enteng was invited by the President to serve in the new government as Department of Tourism Under Secretary for Planning and Promotions. We wished Enteng well as he took a leave of absence. Sadly, what we all hoped would be a successful stint in the DOT for Enteng came to an abrupt end yesterday.
Enteng’s resignation over the brouhaha created by his being, as he says, “in a hurry to see change happen in the motherland we all love” was not really a surprise to us. He lives by the Black and White Movement creed, the panata, he wrote, to quote in part - magbigay ng oras, talino at yaman sa ikabubuti ng kapwa… ako ay maninindigan para sa katotohanan, katarungan, at makabuluhang pagbabago. It was therefore natural for him to take full responsibility for his actions, be accountable to the people, and keep on the straight and narrow path of truth.
We, the conveners and the three thousand members of the Black and White Movement and Black and White Youth Movement laud the selfless act of our lead convener. Enteng has raised the bar of public service to a standard we must require as a matter of course from all public servants. We expect nothing less from our leaders.
We proudly welcome Enteng back into our fold. Mabuhay ka, Enteng!
Saturday, October 16, 2010
IN DEFENSE OF SEC. GING DELES
The Black and White Movement strongly condemns the House of Representatives resolution demanding the resignation of OPAPP Secretary Teresita “Ging” Quintos Deles.
This resolution was penned in the dead of night by minority representatives supposedly in defense of an allegedly irate Rep. Aliah Dimaporo, relative of Bai Omera Lucman, GMA midnight appointee to the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF). It is public knowledge that Ms. Lucman has been attacking Sec. Deles in the media over her removal as head of NCMF. That this resolution was seconded by Rep. Eduardo Gullas of Cebu easily leads us to believe that this resolution had the backing of Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
It is also obvious representatives that rose to publicly assail Sec. Deles and call for her removal from OPAPP without benefit of defense, do not know her at all. Secretary Deles has a track record of public service that is dedicated to the promotion of good governance and a lasting peace in Mindanao. She has never wavered from doing the right thing. Her integrity and credibility are unquestionable. She is highly respected by a majority of those involved in the Peace Process.
We are surprised that Rep. Aliah Dimaporo would support such a resolution based on an alleged unfriendly encounter between them when she thanked Sec. Deles for that very same HOR hallway conversation and even sent her a follow up text – “Secretary Deles, this is Aliah Dimaporo. Thank you very much for your time. May I coordinate with Rose on visiting your office? Have a blessed day.” News reports claim that Rep. Dimaporo was incensed over statements made by Sec. Deles. Her text belies that sentiment.
We are alarmed and concerned that the House leadership under newbie LP members Speaker Feliciano R. Belmonte and Rep. Neptali Gonzales III did nothing to question or object to the baseless resolution. How could they have allowed this affront to an alter ego of the President?
Has the leadership of the House surrendered its majority influence to the minority? It is unfortunate that the House leadership has, knowingly or unknowingly, played into the hands of a GMA-led minority that would like nothing better than to keep justice and peace at bay.
The House of Representatives may be a separate and co-equal branch of government from the Executive, but many of its members won their seats by hopping onto the Noynoy Aquino bandwagon that promised “daan na matuwid”. We hope they meant what they said. President Noynoy Aquino has vowed to keep on the straight and narrow path of good governance. Sec. Deles shares that vision. The members of the House should adhere to that, as well.
Let us not allow those addicted to the past administration’s penchant for business as usual, “tuloy ang ligaya”, to keep us from the peace we deserve.
This resolution was penned in the dead of night by minority representatives supposedly in defense of an allegedly irate Rep. Aliah Dimaporo, relative of Bai Omera Lucman, GMA midnight appointee to the National Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF). It is public knowledge that Ms. Lucman has been attacking Sec. Deles in the media over her removal as head of NCMF. That this resolution was seconded by Rep. Eduardo Gullas of Cebu easily leads us to believe that this resolution had the backing of Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
It is also obvious representatives that rose to publicly assail Sec. Deles and call for her removal from OPAPP without benefit of defense, do not know her at all. Secretary Deles has a track record of public service that is dedicated to the promotion of good governance and a lasting peace in Mindanao. She has never wavered from doing the right thing. Her integrity and credibility are unquestionable. She is highly respected by a majority of those involved in the Peace Process.
We are surprised that Rep. Aliah Dimaporo would support such a resolution based on an alleged unfriendly encounter between them when she thanked Sec. Deles for that very same HOR hallway conversation and even sent her a follow up text – “Secretary Deles, this is Aliah Dimaporo. Thank you very much for your time. May I coordinate with Rose on visiting your office? Have a blessed day.” News reports claim that Rep. Dimaporo was incensed over statements made by Sec. Deles. Her text belies that sentiment.
We are alarmed and concerned that the House leadership under newbie LP members Speaker Feliciano R. Belmonte and Rep. Neptali Gonzales III did nothing to question or object to the baseless resolution. How could they have allowed this affront to an alter ego of the President?
Has the leadership of the House surrendered its majority influence to the minority? It is unfortunate that the House leadership has, knowingly or unknowingly, played into the hands of a GMA-led minority that would like nothing better than to keep justice and peace at bay.
The House of Representatives may be a separate and co-equal branch of government from the Executive, but many of its members won their seats by hopping onto the Noynoy Aquino bandwagon that promised “daan na matuwid”. We hope they meant what they said. President Noynoy Aquino has vowed to keep on the straight and narrow path of good governance. Sec. Deles shares that vision. The members of the House should adhere to that, as well.
Let us not allow those addicted to the past administration’s penchant for business as usual, “tuloy ang ligaya”, to keep us from the peace we deserve.
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