Declaring Her Independence

My sister Bam said she’d had enough of managing our family’s farm. She’s declaring her independence on the 4^th of February.  I can’t blame her because her life stopped the moment she took over the farm when my father passed away.  She left her lucrative and high profile job with the Office of the President – Presidential Anti-Graft Commission and even forgot to take care of herself.  That explains why until now she’s unmarried, or laon in Ilonggo.  Yet all these years that she’s toiling the farm, she did not even became rich.  Soil is a blessing but I’m just human, and this is how I see it, soil will hold you and suck all the life in you.

In farming, you’ll only get rich if you’re toiling hundreds of hectares of lands.  That’s why the owners of Hacienda Luisita are rich.  It’s a nice feeling to grow crops but farming is not just about feelings, it’s a hard work.  You’ll have to shell out a lot of money to maintain your crops.  You need to give the plants fertilizers and that it entails a lot of costs.  Since my sister is into sugarcane farming, she’ll only get to harvest once a year.  At the end of the cropping year, and after paying off her debts in the maintenance of the farm, she’ll not even break even.  The problem is that it’s a cycle and you’ll never get out of the cycle.  That’s the reason why I feel for the farmers.  I know exactly what they’re up to and the challenges they’re facing in farming.

She would have endured it but she’s just human.  Even if you’re patient, your patience will be tested and she just gave it all up.  I can’t blame her and I don’t have the right to.  I mean, I was never really involved in farming myself.  I did have an inheritance from my late father but I never get to toil it.  My sister did the toiling for me.  It wasn’t that I’m not interested in it but I’m away most of the time.  That’s why I know why she’d made up her mind. 

What triggered her to blow her top is my younger brother who wants to have it all to himself.  In the past, he did a lot of things that tested my sister’s patience.  My brother has been consumed by greed.  It’s bad because he does not anymore consider the feelings of his family.  He’s already blinded and consumed by greed.  My mother who’s always blinded by her love for her favorite son, right away defended him. 

So, I wasn’t surprised when last week, my sister said that she’d had enough.  I told her that it’s just fair that she walks out from farming.  She’s still young and has a lot of years ahead of her.  I told her that when she leaves, she shouldn’t look back.  It’s not worth it. 

I treat people the same.  For me, it doesn’t matter if you’re a family, a friend or an acquaintance.  If you are a relative or a family, it’s just coincidental and it doesn’t give you the right to treat your family member or relative badly.  It doesn’t give you the right to abuse your relations.  They say that when your house is full of trash and you decide to clean up, you’ll realize that there are things that you don’t really need.  You’ll also realize that you regained space that used to be consumed by the trash.  You’ll realize na guminhawa ang iyong paligid.  It’s the same with friends, relatives and people in general.  If you don’t need them, you walk out on them.  You’ll realize that gumaan ang iyong buhay.  I support you Inday Bam and I will always respect your decision.

Defenders of Justice

1. Justice Serafin Cuevas

Now 83 years old, he served as associate justice of the Supreme Court during the Marcos regime from June 1984 to April 1986. Prior to his appointment to the SC, he was a justice in the Court of Appeals, judge in the Court of First Instance, and fiscal in Manila.

 

A product of the University of the Philippines College of Law, he had four decades of teaching experience not only in the same institution but in other universities as well.

He was also one of the lead defense counsels of deposed President Joseph Estrada during his impeachment trial in 2000.

2. Eduardo de los Angeles

He is a former dean of the Ateneo de Manila University - College of Law and a managing partner at Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & De Los

Angeles Law Office, the third largest law firm in the country. He finished Bachelor of Laws degree from the Ateneo Law School in 1966, and a Master of Laws degree from the Columbia Law School of Columbia University in New York in 1970. He is also a former president of the Philippine Stock Exchange.

3. Prof. Jacinto Jimenez

He is a resident constitutional expert and long-time professor at the Ateneo Law School, and also a partner at top law firm Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc& De Los Angeles. He finished Bachelor of Laws from the Ateneo Law School in 1964 with honors, and placed third in the 1968 Bar with a grade of 86.8 percent.

4. Ramon Esguerra

A former Department of Justice undersecretary, he was tapped to help retired Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr. when he faced an impeachment complaint in 2003. He is managing partner in Esguerra & Blanco Law Offices and is also teaching criminal and remedial laws at the UP College of Law where he also graduated in 1979.

5. Dean Jose Roy III

He was former dean of the College of Law and president of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. He is another product of the Ateneo Law School.

6. Joel Bodegon

He is managing partner of Bodegon Estorninos Guerzon Borje & Gozos Law Offices. He was also partner in Angara Abello Concepcion Regala & Cruz Law Offices from 1982 to 1986. He finished his Bachelor of Laws from the University of the Philippines in 1974 and was admitted to the Philippine Bar in 1975, before joining the Office of the Solicitor General as trial attorney.

7. German Lichauco II

He is from topnotch Siguion-Reyna Montecillo & Ongsiako Law Offices and described as “an intra-corporate dispute litigator whose expertise includes hostile corporate takeover and control.” He had also handled “a wide array of cases that include heinous crimes, medical malpractice, construction and commercial arbitration, personal injuries and business tort or contractual controversies.”

8. Dean Tranquil Salvador III

A partner at top law firm Romulo Mabanta Buenaventura Sayoc & De Los Angeles, he was former Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Pasay law school dean and UP law professor.

9. Rico Paolo Quicho

A partner in Quicho and Angeles Law Offices, he is an expert in litigation who is also lawyering for embattled Civil Service Commission chair Francisco Duque III in a corruption case involving Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) funds.

10. Karen Jimeno

She graduated cum laude from the UP College of Law before finishing her master’s degree in law at the prestigious Harvard University in the United States.

11. Dennis Manalo

Also from the Siguion-Reyna Montecillo & Ongsiako Law Offices who volunteered for the chief justice’s defense, he is described by the firm as concentrating on “criminal and labor litigation [with] substantial experience in trial work and appellate practice.”

12. Noel Lazaro

He is also partner at Siguion-Reyna Montecillo & Ongsiako Law Offices. He is described by his firm as “a trial and appellate litigator with concentration in commercial, criminal and civil disputes.” He obtained his Bachelor of Laws degree from the UP College of Law in 1995.

Hacienda Luisita, Political Ambition and Personal Interest

CJ Renato Corona’s speech earlier today:

“Ako raw ay hadlang – Tama! Malaki akong hadlang sa mga nagnanais na hindi matuloy ang pamamahagi ng lupain sa mga magsasaka ng Hacienda Luisita. Malaki din akong hadlang sa isang nagmamadaling bise-presidente na talo noong 2010," he said.

"At huwag na tayong lumayo, malaki rin akong hadlang sa isang nag-aambisyong maging chief justice.”

“Sila pong tatlo ang nagsasabwatan upang ako ay mapatalsik sa puwesto. At higit sa lahat, isa akong malaking hadlang sa isang diktatura,” he added.

Finally, CJ Renato Corona tells it as it is.  No more niceties. He was direct to the point.  The three people he was saying are Dictator Abnoy, Putang Ina (Mar Roxas) and Associate Justice Carpio.

Dictator Abnoy was the brain child of the impeachment case against CJ Corona.  It’s all because of the decision of the Supreme Court to distribute Hacienda Luisita to the farmers.  It’s not about PGMA or his “Matuwid na Daan”.  It’s all all because and it’s all for HACIENDA LUISITA. 

Putang Ina (Mar Roxas) who lost in the 2012 Vice Presidential race to VP Jejomar Binay has an outstanding protest at the Presidential Electoral Tribunal.  Mar Roxas of course is hoping for an Aquino friendly Supreme Court so that the SC will rule in favor of his protest.  PI’s (Mar Roxas) camp, the LP and Dictator Abnoy’s camp feels that the SC will never rule in their favor.  By removing CJ Corona and the rest of the Associate Justices who they think are not for them, Dictator Abnoy can now appoint SC Justices who will toe their line.  The impeachment case filed against CJ Corona is nothing more than serving the political ambition of Putang Ina (Mar Roxas) who once dreamed of become a President, eventually slide down to Vice Presidency but unfortunately lost to VP Jejomar Binay.  The desperate man resorted to desperate measures.  I mean, there’s still more than 4 years in the term of Office of VP, who could blame Putang Ina (Mar Roxas) if he’s still hoping for miracle. 

If you remember, Mar Roxas was labeled as Putang Ina because he can swear like hell.  Unfortunately for him, people did not forgive him.  That’s the reason why he lost the VP race.  Since P.I. is a member of the Araneta clan, he can buy support so don’t wonder why you’ll often hear demonization of CJ Corona and the Supreme Court.  His family can buy media influence.  So people, be very vigilant.

Hours after CJ Corona was impeached, verified reports from media confirmed that some Leftist members of the House of Representa-THIEVES met at a condominium owned by Associate Justice Carpio.  In fact, it was alleged that some of the accusations written in the Impeachment Complaints were written by Associate Carpio himself.  Carpio is identified with ‘THE FIRM’ and were once the legal consultants of the Arroyo family until their falling out early 2005. Right after that, Carpio’s rulings were all against PGMA administration. 

Carpio’s only dream apparently was to become the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.  Unfortunately for him though, PGMA was authorized by the Supreme Court itself to appoint Supreme Court Chief Justice, a month before she stepped down from the Office.  Impeaching CJ Corona is the only way for Carpio’s dream to be realized.         

 

Three people are fighting against CJ Corona to impeach him for different reasons: Hacienda Luisita, Political Ambition and Personal Interest.  Kayo na lang ang bahalang humusga.

It’s still Hacienda Luisita

Dictator Abnoy would not have the Supreme Court Chief Justice Impeached if it weren’t for the Hacienda Luisita decision that the Higher Magistrate made that was unfavorable to the Cojuanco and Aquino Clan that owned the Hacienda Luisita.  Hacienda Luisita made the Cojuanco and Aquino clan powerful and they gained political clout and prominence.  For the Cojuanco and Aquino Clan, losing Hacienda Luisita means, losing everything. 

So, I don’t wonder why Dictator Abnoy was so pissed off with the Higher Magistrate’s decision to distribute Hacienda Luisita.  Dictator Abnoy and his Yellowtards may state that they’re only doing this to eradicate PGMAs influence with the SC.  They may also try saying that the impeachment of the CJ was consistent with the ‘Matuwid na Daan’ but I don’t buy that.  It’s very obvious that Dictator Abnoy just want to protect Hacienda Luisita, period. 

I’m not a lawyer but impeaching a Supreme Court CJ for a collegial decision is absurd.  The CJ is just one vote because the Supreme Court will always favor the majority rule.  The Legal luminaries were right whey they say that the impeachment of the CJ will weaken the Judiciary.  It will because, the Dictatorship of Abnoy will threaten the remaining Justices with impeachment if and when the occupants of Malacanang doesn’t like the decision that they’re rendering.  We’ll have to exclude of course, Carpio who is salivating the position of CJ for the longest time and of course, Sereno who is also a Yellowtard by heart.

Filipinos who are very fond of Teleseryes should not be swayed by the Yellow Media’s demonization of Chief Justice Renato Corona.  They should be very vigilant and listen only to all the evidence that the Defense team is presenting.  They should never be swayed by the Prosecutors of the House of Representa-THIEVES, Lolong’s distant relatives, particularly the hollier than thou Tupaz, whose father was accused of Plunder.  They should not listen to the propaganda of the occupants from Malacanang and the yellowtards.  From what I gather, the prosecution team has no evidence.  Baseless accusations don’t stand.  Rules of Court will prevail and will be used in the Impeachment Court and presentation of evidence is important.  They may demonize PGMA more and CJ Corona even more and it’s not because of ‘Daan Matuwid’ unfortunately.  They’re doing this to regain HACIENDA LUISITA.