It seems that some Filipinos have a nasty behavior of claiming real estate and parcels of land that are not truly theirs.
Such is the case on a lawn just outside the ICC facilities at The Hague led by no less than a former presidential mouthpiece. One cannot help but notice the decline in behavior of Harry Roque while he continues to evade the issue hounding him by insisting that the Dutch people can never touch him while his asylum is pending.
If you recall, whistleblower Pebbles Cunanan aka Pebbles Talakera spilled the beans on Roque pointing to him as the person responsible for the polvoron video. But instead of coming out with hard evidence to support the authenticity of the video (it’s a fake!), Roque would go on to make a fool of himself at the Duterte Park which has now been annexed by several Filipinos to act out their loyalties to an ICC inmate.
And now Roque is also being blamed for alleged land grabbing and disappearance of several farmers in Bataan whose land were forcibly taken from them, besides qualified trafficking.
The explanation for such revolting behavior is this: they cannot wait for 2028 thus they want PBBM to step down so that Sara would take over the presidency. Are they out of their so-called minds?
Given the fact that they now believe that Sara has the numbers in the Senate for an acquittal, we still have to hold on to the integrity of the Senate – but not the integrity of several senators who will be sitting as jurors for an upcoming impeachment trial.
Thus, the Senators who need to recuse themselves would be Bong Go, Bato dela Rosa, Robin Padilla, Rodante Marcoleta, and Imee Marcos. They are the obvious allies of Duterte who have already hinted at their “not guilty” verdict through several noticeable ways.
Let the impeachment begin
Are we seeing an intentional delay of the impeachment trial of Sara Duterte if only to buy more time for her?
No less than flash in the pan Rodante Marcoleta mentions that the impeachment will be just a waste of time. If you recall, Marcoleta was number six in the senate race – a surprise considering all he ever did in the House was to grandstand.
Well, I don’t think SP Chiz Escudero has ever sunk his teeth into the word ‘forthwith.’ It is clearly a violation of the Constitution after some four months have already passed since Sara was impeached in the Lower House.
As such, Chiz has moved the date of the reading of the impeachment articles from June 2 to June 11. A total of 215 members of the House chose to impeach her on February 5. The Senate was in receipt of the articles of impeachment shortly thereafter.
No less than the People’s Impeachment Movement has criticized Chiz’s decision to delay the proceedings saying it could put a dent on the public trust on the nation’s democratic institutions.
Sara needs only nine senators to vote for her acquittal, while sixteen votes are needed for a conviction.
Trouble is that this early, a glaring number of senators have already “acquitted” Sara on their pronouncements and obvious behavior. They need to recuse themselves for the sake of the citizenry and the Filipino nation.
Of bogus kingmakers and bogus spokesmen
When you have shameless countrymen like Vic Rodriguez who launches a book with the self-serving title ‘Kingmaker’ and Harry Roque who calls himself ‘Ang spox ng bayan,’ you cannot help but ask what level of delusions of grandeur and hallucinations of self-importance are they now at.
Rodriguez will never be the title of his book and Roque speaks for a former president-turned-inmate and his family, and for the Chinese interests in the country (which many are questionable operations exploiting Filipinos), but never for the country.
You want a real kingmaker and a real spokesperson for the country? There are several but hardly these two hallucinating-in-tandem shysters and buffoons.
Motorcycle madness
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Concerned agencies like the Land transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) must act quickly to help ease the influx of thousands of underbone motorcycles and scooters on our thoroughfares which have been the main cause of stress and anxieties with other motorists, what with their reckless driving habits.
Each day, road accidents happen involving these motorcycles causing serious injuries and even untimely deaths to countless individuals. It seems that the authorities have taken an uncaring attitude on this rapidly growing menace on our streets.
Here’s hoping for a quick action on DoTr Secretary Vince Dizon.
Random Memorandum: An impeachment followed by a conviction is often the only way to forcibly remove a sitting official. And while impeachment is often used to refer to the entire process of removing an official from office, it only formally refers to the indictment stage in the House of Representatives and not the actual trial in the Senate.
Under the Constitution, an official can be impeached if 1/3 of the members of the House vote in favor, and since it takes only a simple majority to set the agenda or to adjourn the House, it can be difficult for a minority of 1/3 to bring a vote and impeach an official.
Factoid: Yogad is an Austronesian language primarily spoken in the town of Echague in Isabela Province. It belongs to the Ibanag subgroup of the North Cordillera languages. Yogad speakers are also found in Angadanan, Santiago, and Jones. The language is considered threatened with only a number of speakers.
(Leslie Bocobo is a former Director and Special Assistant to the Secretary at the Office of the Press Secretary, Malacanang, and a former Pubic Affairs Director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources)
Email: sleeplessinmyshuttle@yahoo.com
