IN his evident desire to wield vast powers of government in the hands of the chief executive, President Noynoy Aquino has triggered a virtual constitutional crisis. This is not good for the native country. This is not good for democracy as we know it. This past week, I revisited my political science books in graduate school authored by two eminent professors on presidential power and presidential character. One deals on politics of leadership by Harvard University Professor Richard E. Neustadt titled Presidential Power. The other, titled Presidential Character by James David Barber, formerly of Duke University. 1 / 6
Prof. Neustadt points out the excessive risk involved in selecting who becomes president and prescribes ways to lessen that risk. It describes the influence that a president wields on the men and women running the government. It also tells the reader how the office of the president is the focal point of politics and policy in the political system. The Presidential Character, on the other hand, is a provocative examination of who has the potential to be voted into the highest office in the land and why. Barber argues that patterns in a person s character and political style, among others, can allow us to anticipate his or her performance as president. Nowhere in those books did I find a semblance or relevance on how the president of the native country conducts the day-to-day business of his office, especially when it comes to power wielding and usage. Because of President Aquino s inability to influence the members of a co-equal branch of government, i.e., the Supreme Court, to go along with his agenda, he covertly persuaded his party mates in the House of Representatives to initiate impeachment proceedings against the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, with threats from some congressmen, that other non-conforming Justices may also face similar proceedings in the future once the Chief Justice is found guilty. When that happens, President Aquino will pack the Supreme Court with his own men and women. 2 / 6
At that time, forget about checks and balances. Mr. Aquino, apparently, does not respect the constitutional dictum of separation of powers. He seems to want judicial and legislative powers shared with the Office of the President. (The House of Representatives swift impeachment action has received criticisms that the House is a rubber stamp of Malacañang. A congressman from Navotas City resigned his chairmanship of a committee to protest the fact that some of his colleagues were supposedly blackmailed to sign the Articles of Impeachment against Chief Justice Corona.) A noted psychologist once said that the pattern of behavior of an individual is constant from birth to death. I m not particular whether you agree or not with that assertion. Although, I believe it is true. My interest is in the pattern of presidential or unpresidential behavior demonstrated in the native country of late. Here are our observations of that behavioral pattern in the following order: 1) destroy targeted enemy s reputation by verbally attacking him or her repeatedly for months in public speeches and media interviews without presenting evidences; 3 / 6
2) when targeted enemy s reputation is already destroyed and people had been most likely brainwashed to dislike or hate the target, the verbal attacker withdraws from the scene and let his subalterns or party mates take over the assault that could lead to final destruction of target; 3) start the whole process with the next enemy. The above was exactly the pattern applied against both former President Arroyo and Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. As the incisive Filipino Reporter editorial last week said, the pattern of presidential behavior in Manila has gotten down and dirty. The most disturbing is that such behavior is not only unpresidential, it is also destroying democracy in the Philippines. Wittingly or not, President Aquino evidently wants to wield extensive power and influence in the Office of the President on a mistaken notion that such enormous power comes from the people. The people, as sovereign authority in a democracy, delegate their power to their elected or even appointed officials in all branches of government. The people exercise their power directly only during elections or during plebiscites and referenda. The above events manifest the weaknesses and defects of the Philippine political system. At the height of the verbal assaults by President Aquino against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, nothing in the Constitution provides for a referee or mediator to end such 4 / 6
institutional dispute. In addition, the power of impeachment vested by the Constitution in Congress has become a tool of political vendetta instead of justice. Article XI, Section 2 of the Philippine Constitution provides: The President, the Vice-President, the Members of the Supreme Court, the Members of the Constitutional Commissions, and the Ombudsman may be removed from office on impeachment for, and conviction of, culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, or betrayal of public trust. All other public officers and employees may be removed from office as provided by law, but not by impeachment. Where does it say that when the Supreme Court orders to distribute the lands owned by the President s family, the same President can secretly arrange with his party mates in the House of Representatives to initiate impeachment proceedings against the Chief Justice with threats that other Justices, who concurred with the Chief Justice in the past, will suffer the same fate. President Aquino, in the guise of democracy, is actually destroying the democratic system and is showing signs of a blossoming autocrat being consumed by presidential power. Perhaps, in the absence of a relevant constitutional provision, P-Noy should accept the challenge of Advent to hold his breath for a moment and be silent. Like I wrote in my Facebook, at times, truth can be appreciated better in the silence of one s heart. *** 5 / 6
Happy Birthday to my good friend Domingo Jun Hornilla, Jr. who is celebrating his milestone birthday this month. mcaball241@aol.com 6 / 6