Fraport, Corona and Carpio and the Impeachment

The Fraport deal was just one of many projects undertaken by the Firm. Yet, this one was the one which broke the camel's back so to speak. Many in the industry says this Firm earned double--they got money from their client and they also tried to get at least $ 20 million from Fraport. Worst, they were perceived to be playing both sides.


That is the worst sin ever committed by a legal practitioner. 


Back then, Executive secretary Renato Corona was in a quandary. He is very close to Antonio Carpio, one of the names who built CVC Law and Pancho Villaraza. They both came from Ateneo. They are both ambitious and tenacious. They want to be on top. 


Corona felt that he has to side with Right, and the right thing to do back then was to isolate the Arroyo administration from the Firm. The severage of ties between the Arroyos and the CVC partners were publicly announced. What the public perceived back then was the Firm was severing its ties because of the numerous anomalies entered into by the palace. The resignation of Avelino Cruz as defense secretary was perceived to be an attempt by the Firm to distance itself from alleged anomalous AFP deals. The truth is, it was the Fraport deal that really caused the rift between the Arroyos and the Firm.


The Firm's tentacles were really so deeply entrenched within the Philippine bureaucracy that several of Arroyo's closest associates made that move to distance themselves from the unpopular regime. The Firm, after distancing itself from Arroyo, really never actually stopped dealing with the regime. Some of them stayed with Arroyo, acting like close friends but in truth, really snooping for information that the Firm could use against the First Couple.


Corona was hurt when this thing happened but because he was very close to Gloria Arroyo, he did not abandon the regime. Corona stayed put, mindful even of the decision of the Arroyos and several people about the Firm and Carpio.


The decision for Corona to become Chief Justice was actually accomplished to spite Carpio. If Corona serves the entire length of his term as Chief Justice, that will only give Carpio several months before he himself retires from government service.


This is why several administration people want a term-sharing agreement between Corona and Carpio. If Corona manages to survive this and stay on as Chief Justice, and eventually the palace appoints Carpio as his replacement, Carpio only has a few months to stay as Chief Justice before he himself retires from the service. This will not serve the interests of Malacanang. 


Why? Several cases are still pending before the Supreme Court. An adversarial court will affect most of these cases, specifically those involving several personalities within the Aquino administration. 


Likewise, several cases involving the Cojuangcos are also pending before the Court. 


Corona is really in a tight fix. If the impeachment court decides to vote now, he will face defeat. The Firm has very strong ties with several Senators. 


Yes, Corona has his sins, but these pale in comparison with those committed by his adversaries. Worse, the people whom the palace wants to install in the Supreme Court owe their allegiance not to the Filipino People, but to the Firm. 


If, at all, President Aquino really want reforming the judiciary, he may probably just call for the resignation of all sitting justices and make the appointment of justices be the duty of a collegial body, composed of civil society, people's organisations, and legal bodies, and not a prerogative of Malacanang. 


Aquino's fate also hangs in the balance here. If he succeeds on toppling Corona, and appoints Carpio as his replacement, he risks a revolt here. 

Impeachment against Chief Justice Renato Corona done deal

A source of NPR says there is at least 105 Congressmen who will sign the impeachment papers against Chief Justice Renato Corona. And mind you, three of these 105 Congressmen belong to the minority block.


This is the final nail in efforts to dismantle the Arroyo regime, which, for nine long years, have enslaved us and have created a disfigured society injured by fits of megalomania, and abuse of power.


Corona's puppy like attitude was fully exposed when Arroyo asked the Supreme Court to grant her the right to travel. That motion was granted by the Supreme Court but was never implemented by an Executive Branch which had the courage to stamp its foot down.


Enough of constitutional buffonery! Enough of using the powers of one's office to dignify the immoral! Enough of using the law to perpetuate power and enslave the People.


Corona, by the looks of it, deserves impeachment.


The only thing that I am deathly afraid of is the eventual ascendancy of The Firm to the Supreme Court.


Remember that another Justice, Justice Antonio Carpio, was once a very staunch defender of the former president. IT was only when Nonong Cruz, partner of Carpio, decided to detach himself from Arroyo as defense secretary, did the Firm formally ended its romance with the Arroyos.


The firm, mine you, enjoyed more than five years in power with the Arroyos. 


Who will benefit from Corona's fall ? Obviously, it's Carpio and former Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo, stalwarts of the Firm which is now closely linked with President Aquino.


I hope this does not happen because if it does, then, it exposes what many believe this administration is---a savage wolf in sheep's clothing, or a gang who is trying to project that they are different from Arroyo, when in truth and in fact, they are the same group with the same insidious designs against the Filipino people. 

The principle of Stare decisis in the CJ appointment issue

Stare decisis et non quieta movere. This is one of the legal principles by which Philippine jurisprudence rests.

The issue of Mrs. Arroyo's appointment of the Chief Justice should be respected by all, simply because the Supreme Court has said its piece and by that, all parties are required to obey it. Call it a midnight appointment. Call it a desperate move. Call it a self-preservation tactic. Fact is, the Highest Tribunal has said its piece and allowed an exiting president to appoint a successor even during the election period. Whether or not that ruling was erroneous, the fact is simply, the Highest Court said so, and as a member of the Philippine bar, every one who respects the law must recognize that this is now part of lex terrae or the law of the land. 

Chief Justice Renato Corona's appointment does not violate any law, according to the Supreme Court. Hence, by all means, it is legal. It might not be entirely moral or ethical, but it is simply legal. 

In the minds of certain quarters, especially the Firm, the decision was wrong. And since the Firm has a direct and firm stake at Aquino's candidacy, it has every single right to try and reverse the ruling using the Executive department as its platform.

Wrong. Crap. Bull. 

The Supreme Court is a co-equal branch of government. It is independent. What Aquino and the Firm planned to do is pressure or force the Court to abide. Democracy does not operate this way. Democracy is about respect. Democracy is about free choice. 

The incoming Chief Executive and his legal factotums may have a differing view of this thing but it is simply the height of tyranny that they try to muster dissent over something which has been decided firmly and with finality. Tradition states that respect should be accorded the Court, otherwise, how then will the justice system be respected by all?

This is also, not a tit-for-tat game, that the Court did this against the People, so the People has the right to do this also against the Court. 

This is also a direct affront against democratic principles to allow a mere law firm to force its weight down upon the Highest Court. 

It would have been a very good issue yet, the fact that the Firm is in the thick of things and is leading the charge, smells of rat dung. 

Hyatt 10, KamagAnak Incorporated and now The Firm--Happy Days Are Here Again? No!

Are promises meant to be broken? I really hope not.


Last February, if I'm not mistaken, a very serious looking Senator Noynoy Aquino was asked by journalists about the possibility of him reviving the "old guards" of his mother, Cory Aquino and estranged members of Arroyo's administration. Journalists were referring to the Kamaganak Incorporated, a group of relatives and very close Aquino associates accused of influence peddling and graft cases. Aquino categorically said no. 


Another press con, this time last March, one journalist asked him of the possibility of the Hyatt 10, a group of former Cabinet members of the Arroyo administration, getting juicy positions in his cabinet. Aquino categorically said no.


Now, days before his inauguration, we read how these two groups, the Hyatt 10 and the Kamaganak Incorporated have been fighting over the spoils of the recently concluded "war". We heard the appointment of Dingky Soliman, Arroyo's former DSWD in her old post. We heard how Jose "Peping" Cojuangco, the head of the Kamaganak Incorporated, reportedly maneuvered against Noynoy's running mate, Mar Roxas and how members of his so-called COPA and the Philippine Patriotic Movement (PPM) campaigned against the LP president. We heard how very close associates of Peping are now being pump primed to occupy sensitive posts in an Aquino administration. 


And now this...


Former solicitor general Frank Chavez has accused the "Firm" of trying to raise hell over Arroyo's appointment of the Chief Justice. Chavez said the "Firm", or the Villaraza, Cruz, Angcangco Law Office, the firm formerly close to the Arroyo couple until they had an estrangement which led to the resignations of former Defense secretary Avelino Cruz and Nonong Marcelo, former Ombusman, is now maneuvering against the newly appointed CJ because they want Antonio Carpio, a former partner of the "Firm", as Chief Justice. 


Chavez even accused the "Firm" of offering the Ombusman, Sol-Gen and other DOJ positions to certain lawyers and members of the Firm. 


The Firm was accused of influence peddling during the time of Arroyo. The law firm was reportedly involved in anomalous deals and graft cases during the time they were playing beautiful music together with Mrs. Arroyo and her husband, First Gentleman Mike Arroyo.


So, we have three major groups now poised to occupy sensitive posts in government, former members of Arroyo's cabinet AND former resurrected relics of the First Aquino regime. 


Are there no other Filipino out there better than these groups? I mean, come on, Mr. Aquino. You promised us change. How will things change when you'll be appointing the very same people who (1) caused these monumental problems being faced by the country in the first place and (2) already showed their incompetence and their weaknesses against shady deals and offers? Come on!


They are many Filipinos far better than these influence peddlers and big-time operators. There are many more honest and more desirous for change Filipinos out there who will not do what these people did when they were in power. If we really want change, let us not just re-tool these people. 


Appoint new faces in government, those with extreme competence and skills, preferably career officials. There are many in the private sector who are more competent, more nationalistic and more patriotic than these people.