Sen. Escudero’s notoriety

Sen. Chiz Escudero with fiancée actress Heart Evangelista

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero is very much in the news today for the wrong reasons.

His love affair with actress Heart Evangelista is getting some ominous flak from the latter’s parents that do not bode well for his political future.

Chiz may be doing well in surveys as a senatorial candidate for the mid-term elections in May 2013, but definitely the bickering he has with the parents of Heart – Cecile and Rey Ongpauco – is not helping paint a wholesome image of his persona.

The Ongpaucos do not approve the relationship that Chiz has with their daughter simply because they know the negative side of the senator – past and present – and all they want is to protect their youngest child whom they love so much.

Consider the following factors being mentioned as the reason why the brass senator is unacceptable to them:

1. Religious Reason: Chiz obviously has a personality defect. His wife, with whom he has two children, left him for reasons that have been the talk of Metro Manila. Chiz and his wife obtained a civil annulment. Thus, under the rules of the Catholic church to which my family belongs, Chiz is disqualified to remarry, unless he obtains a Church annulment.

2. Personality Problem: Chiz is surrounded by unsavory gossip which has already reached social media. The cause of his annulment and his peculiar habits are swirling over his head, and he has never bothered to explain himself. He projects himself as a wholesome candidate, but we know better. We challenge Chiz to stop dictating to our daughter. Stop hiding behind the skirts of Heart and stop using her as an armor to shield yourself from very serious questions about your character and personality.

3. Alcoholic: The first time Chiz visited our home, we saw that he was drunk and he smelled of alcohol. The second time he went to our family home, he was again drunk, carrying a bottle of red wine. During both visits, he hardly spoke a respectful word. He sat slumped in a chair with his legs spread outward. He has never formally asked for our daughter’s hand, or explained how he will support her and his wife at the same time.

4. Illusions: According to Heart, Chiz has promised her that he will become President by 2016, and then she will be addressed as ‘First Lady.’ The staff of Chiz sometimes addresses him as Mr. President. This is pure seduction, because we believe Chiz does not stand any chance to become President or Vice-President, owing to his secret character.

Furthermore, he once boasted to Heart that he runs a lucrative law office, and that a multinational is poised to pay his law firm over P200 million a year for lawyering for the multinational. One more boast of Chiz is that he has already the guaranteed financial contribution of a businessman who has been listed among the ten billionaires of the Philippines, but who is under investigation by the Senate. Heart believes all these claims made by her boyfriend, without any evidence.

5. Opportunism: Chiz has virtually moved into the condo unit owned by Heart. He uses her Mercedes Benz at will, particularly during night time, indicative of her own disturbed personality. Heart encourages this behavior from Chiz, as she did with the rest of her prior boyfriends. She has been diagnosed as a needy personality, but she refuses psychiatric treatment.

6. Case vs. Chiz: Because of Heart’s naiveté, I have been compelled to act as her talent manager. We recently signed Heart’s contract with a certain TV channel. Now, Chiz is urging her to have my name removed as talent manager. All the acts of Chiz indicate that his public persona is far different from his real character. My husband and I are in the process of gathering evidence to prove that he is a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality, as suggested by a print columnist.”

Mrs. Ongpauco said they are planning to file a criminal complaint against Sen. Chiz Escudero: “a criminal case for libel, for claiming that he is caught in the middle of a family feud; when the truth is, Chiz is the very source of our family feud.”

What is truly lamentable is that Mrs. Ongpauco also made some unsavory remarks about her daughter, saying: “She does not have the mature mind of someone of that age. She still thinks like a young girl. She is easily swayed by people who prey on her insecurities and lack of confidence. Heart has personality problems, and Chiz, who is also suffering from his own personality problem, is doing his best to confuse her, to the extent of alienating her affections against us. Since he has inveigled Heart to take his side (which she has always done with all of her prior boyfriends, indicating how unstable she is) our family has decided to disown her scandalous behavior.”

To me, writing this blog is not about my interest in knowing how this brouhaha will end up. I really could care less. Every time I see the senator talk I am looking at somebody full of humbug and it almost always makes me puke.

My interest is knowing and letting the public be aware of who Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero is – he who is running for re-election and he who has not mince words about his ambition of running for the presidency sometime in the future – God forbids.

Between Escudero’s words and the Ongpaucos, I don’t even have to blink to say that the latter are more credible and humble, despite their wealth.

Damage control over cybercrime law

The uproar raised by internet users over the country’s controversial cybercrime law has, practically, made the Senate a political hornet’s nest.

If it were not for their own political survival, I don’t think the senators will be bothered much by how strong the netizens are disturbing and riling them up in the internet, although am sure they will give in, sooner or later, if and when the furor reaches the streets, which was likely to happen if they won’t correct the law.

Time and circumstances have been with the people, like you and me, who have been very vocal about the implementation of this new law that seeks to apply the country’s libel law on internet users, including social media users, and also bloggers for that matter, with tougher penalties to boot.

Not only that. What is even dangerous is that it authorizes the Department of Justice (DOJ) to take down any website as well as restrict or block access to computer data deemed to violate the law even without a court order.

So look what is happening now. Because some of these senators are reelectionists and running in the 2013 mid-term elections, they are now doing damage control over their stupid rush-rush and hush-hush actions to avoid backlash that could cost them their seats.

Damage control is actually a euphemism for flip-flopping or saving face, if you may.

Take the case of the law’s author, Sen. Edgardo Angara, who said he will move to amend the Cybercrime Law when Congress resumes Oct. 8. It is simply incredible that he has allowed this law to pass knowing fully well the contentious online libel provision inserted into the law. But now that he is feeling the heat of the people’s ire, and especially that his son is running for the senate, he is asking for the suspension in the implementation of the provision in question.

Is Angara succumbing to amnesia now about Sen. Vicente Sotto III, the ambitious, clownish, ultimate thespian and storyteller par excellence senate member, who admitted having pushed for the inclusion of libel on Republic Act No. 10175’s list of computer crimes?

No matter how Sotto denies the allegation that he wanted the provision inserted in retaliation for the “cyberbullying” he received after his turno en contra in August against the reproductive health bill, the fact is that he was hoping he could use this law as weapon against his detractors and naysayers, if and when he runs for reelection again or aims for higher office in the future.

There is also Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who, despite not being a candidate, but also aiming to follow his father’s political footsteps, issued the following statement in his official FB account: “I do not suggest that we ‘throw the baby out with the bath water,’ but the libel clause must be amended and free speech upheld.”

Then there is Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero, a reelectionist, who feels lucky being endorsed by both UNA and the LP, confessing his failure to notice the new law’s provision imposing criminal liability on libel.

“It was a mistake… I don’t want to give any reason or motive (why some senators inserted that provision),” Escudero explained.

O, yeah! Where was your mind, Senator?

Yet, still there is Sen. Pia Cayetano, a non-reelectionist, who blames the Corona impeachment trial as the reason why this perverse insertion “slipped under their noses” unnoticed when it was discussed on the floor.

“Sadly we cannot catch every provision all the time,” she said via her Twitter account.

All of a sudden our good senators, when it mattered most, got afflicted with the three wise monkey’s disease of “no see, no talk, no hear.”

What is disturbing about all these is that aside from Marcos, Escudero and Cayetano, ten other senators voted in favor of the Cybercrime Law.

These were Senators Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Manuel “Lito” Lapid, Loren Legarda, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel, Ramon “Bong” Revilla, Vicente “Tito” Sotto, Ralph Recto and Manny Villar.

Only Sen. Teofisto “TG” Guingona III voted against the bill, claiming it to be “oppressive and dangerous.”

“Let me clarify this to avoid confusion, the country needs a Cybercrime Prevention Act, however, this law that was passed recently contains problematic provisions,” Guingona said in a statement issued very much earlier.

Wonder what Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago has to say on this. Where was she when it was passed on the floor? This is the time that she should lambast the “men’s club” of the senate for the ill-conceived hysteria it has created among the Filipino internet users.

But, at any rate, we should be thankful for Sen. Guingona for standing strong for our rights and our freedom of expression.

Supreme Court insider and not outsider for Chief Justice

The Judicial Bar Council

The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) is about finished interviewing nominees for Chief Justice (CJ) and will soon go on with the selection process as to whose names will be submitted to choose from by President Benigno Aquino (PNoy).

This, even as Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Sonny Belmonte, as well as Senate committee on justice chairman Senator Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero and his House counterpart Rep. Niel Tupas agreed to pull out of the JBC following a SC ruling allowing only one representation from Congress to JBC.

But, even without Congress participating, and no matter how flawed JBC may be in its composition, as seen by Enrile, it has a role to play as a constitutionally-created body that recommends appointees for vacancies that may arise in the composition of the Supreme Court and other lower courts.

The question now is: Is JBC going to recommend a Supreme Court (SC) insider or an outsider?

So that the JBC members will not be accused of being biased for one or the other, it is a given that the recommended persons to be selected by President Aquino will be coming from both parties.

President Benigno Aquino

The question becomes critical and significant, and will determine the performance of the SC, when the same is asked of PNoy. It is important that he makes the right choice for it is one of the crucial legacies he will be leaving behind once he steps down from the presidency.

Among the candidates interviewed, it has been observed that most of those who were comfortable answering questions from the panel – more eloquent, more assertive, more confident, and seemingly more competent to occupy the position of CJ are the SC insiders, namely, Justice Antonio Carpio, Justice Presbitero Velasco Jr., Justice Teresita Leonardo de Castro, Justice Arturo Brion, Justice Roberto Abad and Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.

Not only is it advantageous to appoint a replacement for CJ from within, knowing already fully well the intricacies, the processes and even the politics inside, but they rightfully deserve to be the only group to be chosen from in as much as they earned their stay position through hard work and sacrifice, not to mention their intelligence and probity. In fact they are classified from the most junior to the most senior, with the latter given the preference.

Unfortunately, such is not the case today.

But, since they have reached that distinguished position of Associate Justice of the SC, would you robbed any of them now of the opportunity to fulfill their dream of heading that most coveted position in the judiciary, the CJ of the SC?

It is for this reason that, I hope, PNoy will be guided to appoint a SC insider for CJ.

It is only fair.

So, when should we be considering then SC outsiders for SC inside positions? The answer is – only when there is vacancy in the roster of Associate Justices.

It is only fair.

(Please read related article: Search for Corona’s replacement ,  dated June 23, 2012. – Quierosaber)

The illogical anti-turncoat bill

Senator Edgardo Angara pushing for the passage of Senate Bill 3214 known as the Anti-turncoat Bill or “Anti-Balimbing Act”

Groucho Marx, a witty American film star and comedian, once said that “politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it, misdiagnosing it, and then misapplying the wrong remedies”.

This could very well be said about Senate Bill 3214, or the Political Party Development Act, which seeks to institutionalize a strong party system in the country and promote transparency in campaign financing.

One of the important features of the measure is the provision penalizing political turncoats, or those changing one’s party affiliation after being elected on that ticket.

But, listen to this.

Aside from punishing turncoats, the bill also aims to establish a state subsidy fund for accredited political parties. The money will be used for party development and campaign expenditures.

The bill proposes that the Commission on Audit (COA) examine the financial reports of the parties to check how they use the taxpayers’ money as well as voluntary contributions.

Isn’t this kind of a catch-22 situation?

I abhor turncoats the way it has been envisioned by the proponents of the bill, namely, Senators Edgardo Angara, Jinggoy Estrada, Miriam Defensor Santiago and Franklin Drilon, but why, for crying out loud, do we have to establish a state subsidy fund for accredited political parties?

Even if the amount donated by individuals, groups, or a corporation are to be audited by COA, I still don’t see the logic of the soundness of the idea. On the contrary what I can foresee is anomaly that does not impact well on the integrity of the party. To say that it can improve the political party system in the country is pure illusion.

This ‘dirty tactic’ will only edify and glorify what we dislike most in our country’s brand of politics – the politics of expediency and patronage.

Of the senators who have expressed reservations about the proposed bill, I find Sen. Francis Escudero’s version most reasonable, acceptable and with nationalistic fervor.

“With all the things that we need to spend on and give subsidy to, I think the political parties should be the last priority. I also think the elections should be the last that we should spend money on. I can think of one million things that we can spend on and give subsidy to than candidates.”

Sen. Sergio Osmeña III described it even more bluntly, saying: “Kalokohan ‘yon.” (That’s a sham.) “Why are you preventing something that is not a crime?”

Nothing can be farther from the truth.

Rather than find fault at political butterflies, it will be more significant if political alliances are to be prevented especially if it is an alliance of convenience.

Like flies being attracted to rotten meat, unscrupulous politicians get enticed by the coalition because it is the source of political patronage that leads to nowhere, but selfish political motivations at the expense of the  people.

Strategy and stratagem for political expediency

 

United Nationalist Alliance (UNA): A Binay – Estrada political tie-up

There are many ways by which a person can be called a political opportunist.

Whether the description is disgraceful and derogatory depends on how the politician is perceived to be using his/her shrewdness in attaining the success of his/her political agenda.

Lately, we have seen national and local politicians hugging the limelight in all types of media mouthing their political plans, making political tie-ups and seeking political patronage.

This, in the wake of the most publicized political alliance in the country today between Vice President Jejomar Binay’s Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) and former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada’s Partido ng Masang Pilipino (PMP).

The new party name given to this coalition is United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

It is the alliance of these two well known populist leaders that is so enticing to the aspiring politicians in both local and national levels, the re-electionists and to some ‘comebacking’ politicians, who wants to ride on the popularity of Estrada and Binay.

UNA is perceived by many now to be the political opposition party that will challenge the leadership of President Benigno Aquino’s Liberal Party in the coming 2013 congressional elections and the 2016 presidential elections.

Billionaire boxer-politician Rep. Manny Pacquiao

Thus, as early as now, we are already seeing politicians of all colors sashaying towards the political platform of UNA for political expediency.

Political expediency is a move that makes it politically advantageous for a politician or a party for that matter, rather than for what is right or just. It is a self-serving political action.

We have political strategy and we have political stratagem.

Politicians, for instance, like re-electionist senator Loren Legarda and Francis Escudero, come-backing former senators Ernesto Maceda and Juan Miguel Zubiri and senatorial aspirant Zambales representative Mitos Magsaysay are joining UNA as their political strategy in achieving their vision of becoming senators of the realm in the 2013 elections. They need a party that could assure their victory in the coming 2013 elections, thus, fulfilling their political ambitions. Even billionaire boxer-politician Rep. Manny Pacquiao has sought to be under the umbrella of UNA for political expediency, although everybody knows that his popularity and wealth will surely get him to where he wants to go politically.

Cebu Gov. Gwen Garcia

On the other hand, we are also aware that Cebu Governor Gwen Garcia has been invited and, in fact, has already accepted the proposal of no less than Vice President Jejomar Binay to run as a senatorial candidate under UNA in the coming 2013 elections.

The difference, however, is that not only is she using UNA as a political strategy, but she is also complementing her candidacy with political stratagem.

For how else could one describe Gwen’s move of transferring her voter’s registration to Barili in the 3^rd congressional district as a confirmation of her earlier political revelation that running for a congressional seat is one of her options?

What this means is that if she feels it is an uphill battle for her among the senatorial candidates to be assuredly elected, then she could always slide down and run instead for congress filling up the position to be vacated by her younger brother, Rep. Pablo John Garcia.

Now, this is what you call political stratagem – a cleverly contrived trick for gaining an end.

This is political opportunism of the first order.

 

Aquino Mindanao peace initiative laudable

 

MILF Chair Murad Ebrahim and President Benigno Aquino holding peace talks in Japan

No one should begrudge President Benigno Aquino for making his meeting with Murad Ebrahim, chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), secret and, of all places, in  Tokyo, Japan.

On the contrary, all peace-loving citizens of this republic, to include some mouthy politicians, should congratulate PNoy for taking the initiative, without funfair, to resolve the Mindanao peace problem.

Like his famous mother and former Philippine President Corazon “Cory” Aquino before him, who met with Nur Misuari of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in Sulu in 1986 to resume the peace talks which had collapse during the Marcos dictatorship, PNoy took the liberty of doing it his way if only to show his sincerity in stopping the violence and killing of Filipinos by Filipinos that has marred this thorny and divisive issue all these 14 years of on-off negotiations with the government.

This unprecedented move by PNoy was made possible through the exertion of Teresita Quintos-Deles, the presidential peace adviser and lawyer Marvic Leonen, the head of the government peace panel, who made sure that it will take place at an opportune time, if only to give the peace talks “a shot in the arm.”

Leonen said Mr. Aquino and Murad agreed to “fast-track” the negotiations and that the implementation of any agreement has to happen during the term of Mr. Aquino, who has made the resolution of the Muslim and communist insurgencies a high priority of his administration.

The MILF called Mr. Aquino’s effort a “grand gesture” that gave “a tremendous boost to the peace process.”

While we praise the work done by Deles and Leonen, I cannot help but feel let-down by the reaction of politicians, like Sen. Francis Escudero, who questioned the expediency of such secret meeting.

What is the harm if the President does it himself? Has Escudero have a good resolution to offer in ending the conflict? Has he been talking about it or is he just after the sound bytes?

The same thing goes with Rep. Edcel Lagman, who questioned the urgency or necessity of having the President himself meet with Murad secretly.

What risk is Lagman talking about in the President’s meeting the MILF leaders? “If something happened to him there, what would happen to our country,” he said.

I would have agreed, if Aquino was going to the mountains, but Japan? If Lagman has no alternative solution, either, for ending the Mindanao conflict, he might just as well wait and see, like the rest of us.

I find the questions of The Philippine Star Postscript columnist, Federico Pascual Jr., more sensible and relevant to Aquino’s secret meeting with Murad, and these are some:

“Is the MILF the sole legal representative and popularly designated voice of Muslim Mindanao?”

“By what process did the MILF acquire authority to speak for Muslim Mindanao?”

“What is our guarantee that if a peace accord is signed with the MILF’s present leaders, that no splinter group will emerge and then demand that the government also talk to it for new or separate settlement?”

Skeptical politicians should have this kind of realistic and intelligent questions in mind before commenting or criticizing what PNoy has done.

For now, we shall just be contented to hear Ghadzali Jaafar, the MILF political affairs chief, say that it was “a fruitful meeting, like an injection that gave new hope to the leaders for the peace talks.”

But, what is more promising is what Leonen said: “They (meaning MILF) are no longer a secessionist group because their proposal does not include independence anymore. They are not asking to be a separate state. And therefore the implications that you are probably imagining, pardon me, are no longer there.”