The Shield of Mike

RECENT EVENTS brought by the nature of things in this life tend to favor certain direction in overall events. Is it grace? Or, is it simply a painful joke that decides fortune and misfortune?

Yesterday, Negros Occidental Representative Ignacio Arroyo sufferred a heart attack while in his home in London. He had been there for his regular checkup on his liver ailments. But this time the cardiac event proved fatal as he cruised to coma, declared clinically dead, and then finally remove any life support as the medical team handling his case pronounced him dead. He died at age 61.

This event has huge and unprecedented impact on the legal battles of his brother former First Gentleman Miguel Arroyo (FG) who is facing a criminal rap in connection to the purchase of three used helicopters by the Philippine National Police (PNP) during the time of his wife's presidential term.

Iggy, as Congressman Arroyo is known to his friends, had been a valuable shield of FG in various legal complaints against him.

In 2003, Senator Panfilo Lacson accused FG for keeping the multi-million Jose Pidal accounts. Iggy stepped forward saying that he owns the said accounts and not his brother.

Last year, on the issue of the PNP purchase of used helicopters, FG again figured in the alleged transaction, and apparently owns the sold helicopters that had been used in his wife's political campaigns. Again Iggy stepped in as the alleged owner of the sold helicopters.

His death became a slash on the witnesses that will support the innocence of FG before the Court. Will it effectively destroy the defense? That is something to look into in the coming months.

At the end of the day, Filipinos, religious people we are, believes in the eventual triumph of the truth over the lies and posturings. This event may prove to be a crucial factor in tipping the scale of balance in favor the Filipinos who lost a lot in the rigged transaction.

Comments

"Elite" Cry-Babies?

I CANNOT IMAGINE how an operative of the Special Counter-Insurgency Operations Unit (SCOU), when caught by insurgents and subjective to the worse torture imaginable, can ever survive with their mental faculties intact. But that's exactly what's going to happen if the recent products of SCOU Training cry foul, or more specifically 'hazing,' when they are subjected to the hard realities of law enforcent that handles counterinsurgency operations. Operatives must be physically hard and mentally sturdy to survive the prospect of getting captured without squelling reserved information to the enemy. I am disappointed to hear that the recent batch of SCOUT trainees considered their physical ordeals during training as 'hazing.' Have they entertained the thought that they were in Camp Ceferino Genovia in Barangay Bahay for an exotic 45-day vacation? If they cannot endure physical pain during training, they must ship out because real life counterinsurgency work ...

Separatist Tactic Unraveled

A RECENT INCIDENT in Davao City revealed the sneaky tactic that Muslim separatists use in claiming more and more lands in Mindanao as "their ancestral" land. Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte ordered on November 17 members of the Moro National Liberation Front-National Elite Security Unit to vacate areas in Sitio Agdao, Talomo and Mintal, which they claim as a land of their ancestors. True to form they have started harrassing those who are living there in order to have the place for themselves. This was not the first time in Mindanao. (By God, even nations around the world had similar problems with creeping Muslim communities amidst them that can become breeding nests for terrorist operatives.) Provinces like the Zamboangas also noted this kind of creeping dominion; although in certain areas families and relatives of separatists did the subtle presence in certain areas where they later would show no plan to leave. Good that in Davao City they have a Dutert...

Gifts of Discounts

SECTION 13 of the New Code of Philippine Judicial Conduct (27 April 2004) stated: Judges and members of their families shall neither ask for nor receive any gift, bequest, loan, or favor in relation to anything done or to be done or omitted to be done by him or her in connection with the performance of judicial duties. Its annotation explains that: Public officials and employees shall not solicit or accept, directly or indirectly, any gift, gratuity, favor, entertainment, loan or anything of money value from any person in the course of their official duties or in connection with any operation being regulated by, or any transaction which may be affected by the functions of their office." The key phrase here is--"in the course of their official duties." It means that as long as a judge remains a judge of Philippine courts, this Code applies, prohibiting any receipt, directly or indirectly, from any person. The question then is: Is a discount a gift? ...

At the End of the Day

Search This Blog