by Harry Roque
Much has been said about the Truth Commission. While it is true that this body promised by President Noynoy Aquino as a means of ferreting out the truth on the many scandals of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo is in reality a toothless tiger, a superfluity, and will be the source of disappointment for many, it is still an exercise that must be resorted to if the Arroyos are to be held responsible for their many crimes.
The pitfalls of the commission are many. For instance, as a creation of the Executive, it cannot exercise powers beyond gathering facts. It cannot have the powers to issue summons, nor will it have the power to cite individuals in contempt. In other words, absent legislative imprimatur, it can only count on the willingness of crucial witnesses to testify and their voluntary submission of evidence.
Can it compel, for instance, Romulo Neri to answer the three questions which would implicate Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in the NBN-ZTE scam but which were declared by the Supreme Court to be covered by executive privilege? Certainly not. If Congress, despite its plenary powers to conduct investigation in aid of legislation, was restrained by the Supreme Court, there is more reason that a mere fact finding commission would not succeed in this regard. Likewise, Cito Lorenzo, even if he wanted to turn state witness, could not count on the Commission to grant him testimonial immunity. It behooves both rhyme and reason why he would then incriminate himself voluntarily without being admitted first as a state witness.
Likewise, it is unlikely that the intelligence community, despite the chain of command, would voluntarily surrender information on the “Hello Garci” scandal. And of course, the Department of Foreign Affairs, still under Secretary Alberto Romulo, would not want to reopen the Northrail controversy as he would almost certainly argue that to do so would harm bilateral ties with China.
So is the Truth Commission completely irrelevant?
Click here (Harry Roque’s blog) for the rest of the article.
If you ask me, under Davide, the Truth Commission is simply, absolutely, definitely a useless proposition.
Truth Commission is the most important body created by P.Noy, this should succeed and not allowed to fail. But why is davide so quiet? A weekly report should be given by the truth commission to the people.
This is the main body in the forefront of fight against corruption.
ang isang tigre kahit na walang ngipin ay lalaban kung naiipit na ..lalaban at lalaban for life…wala nga siyang ngipin but mayroon naman siyang claws to fight with..hindi ba? survival…kahit na nga ang daga pag na corner na ay lalaban pa…just take a look at putot gloria macapal gal-
arroy-o! fight to the end…let us tigthen the rope and bitayin na siya ng patiwarik.
Truth commission should combine forces with DOJ , Solicitor’s General’s office, PNP , AFP and NBI to arrive at the truth. With P.Noy 100% behind it. With this awesome combination of forces and powers , truth will be finally be made official, although people already know what happened in the Hello Garci, Jose Pidal, NBN -ZTE, Joc Joc Fund scam, etc…..
The biggest pitfall of the Truth Commission is Davide that makes this a plain Utot Commission.
Truth Commission will be the litmus test for P.Noy
Magulo pa yan. Ayan at umaalboroto na ang mga tuta ng Glue, hindi daw sila maglalaan ng budget.
Why not just constitute a special division within the DOJ to do the job? Since hawak ni Noy ang DOJ, and it has subpoena powers, then there will be no need to go to Congress to ask for powers and funds.
Sama niyo na ang CHR. Ano pera lang ang hahabulin? What about the disappeared like Jonas Burgos? Noy can create a composite division, involving the DOJ, the NBI, and the DEA. Hanapin na rin ang mga coddlers ng drug lords.
Aang hirap sa Pinoy, sa halip na humanap ng paraan, ang unang iniisip ay magtayo ng bagong commission, agency o grupo. Dito sa US, kapag may siyam na Pinoy, tiyak na may labing-isang organization.
Tingnan niyo na lang ang Senado. Mas marami ang chairmanship kaysa senador. Ang mga paksa naman, ay overlapping at puwedeng i-lump together sa iisang chairmanship. Of course, okay yan, dahil a chairmanship involves chairmanship funds.
atty sax, siguro dahil walang paglalagyan kay Davide. Asar!
Sabi da: Kahaba-haba man ng prusisyon, sa simbahan din ang tuloy.
Isali ang Anti-Money Laundering Council, DOJ, BIR, NBI, PNP, COA at iba pa sa Utot komisyon. Pero sa Office of the Ombudsman ang bagsak. Habang hawak ni Malditas ang Ombudsman hindi ousad ang kaso. Patalsikin muna ang aso ni Gloria.
Congressman Teddy Casino filed charges against gma one day after she stepped down, he fulfilled what the opposition promised during campaign period. What about the gov’t who now has full authority ,immense power and responsibility ?
atty sax is correct, a composite team could be formed to support the Truth Commission.
Sa dami ng kasalanan ni Gloriang dapat imbestigahan, ilang dangkal kaya aabutin ang final report nito? Bukod sa cooperation at yung “pagpahiram” ng powers ng mga existing authorities, kakailanganin talaga ng 100% devoted, mission-specific na tauhan para maghandle ng backroom ops na hindi na kaya pang ibigay ng mga kasalukuyang mga ahensiya.
Sariwang pondo talaga ang kailangan para magkaroon ng katuturan at katarungan diyan sa TC ni Davide. Magkakaroon lang ng dahilan ang mga ahensiya na hindi sila makakilos ng maayos dahil sa dami ng inaasikaso ng kanilang mga tao para sa TC. Para walang diskusyon, wag nang istorbohin yung mga ibang ahensiya at kumuha na lang ng isa o dalawa para magkaroon ng ngipin halimbawa sa pas-isyu ng subpoena, etc.
Kung hindi ay mistulang Turotot Commission lang ang kalalabasan niyan.
sabi nga, kung gusto maraming paraan, kung ayaw maraming dahilan
tatlong linggo na, wala man lang nadidinig kung ano na ang ginagawa ng Truth Commission, bakit ?
mabuti pa si Teddy Casino, umaksyon agad
This is the main body in the forefront of fight against corruption – sychitpin – July 16, 2010 7:17 pm
How can that be? a commission without the power to summon, cite liars or pretenders in contempt, etc. One more Davide in the helm! How can it be for TRUTH? We haven’t even ask for JUSTICE yet! I wish pnoy should rethink this seriously!
that should be, however it needs more teeth which Pres. Noynoy could provide. Leila de Lima or Jesse Robredo are better choices than davide.
Kaya nga nilagay dyan si Davide – para wala mangyari. Dapat ang asikasuhin ni P. Noy ay kung paano tanggalin si Gutierrez bilang hepe ng tanod bayan. Walang mangyayari kay Arroyo habang si Merci ay nakaupo pa. Dapat may mangyari na in three months. kung wala pa, wag na natin asahan na may mangyayari pa. Na loko na naman ang taong bayan.
Turutut commission talaga ang kalalabasan niyan kapag sa loob ng 100 days na panunungkulan ni PNoy wala pang maisampang kaso.
I cannot allow myself just reading here. My day seems not complete and a minute of my life seems wasted if I will not participate. Whether you like it or not.
The shameless Merceditas Gutierrez must know that it is not her being clean (daw) that is in question why not only Filipinos want her to step down from her office. It is not her closeness to the Mgagarapal-Arrovos as our basis why we cannot trust her but her being INUTIL and BLIND on the glaring TRUTH that her beloved friend, the BABOY and its wife, THE MOLED ASKAL are involved and the initiators of the string of corruptions during the never president’s administration. It is her being bias and speedy disposition of any case involving the hogband and wife tandem and outright clearing them seen as hindrance for us Filipinos to attain justice and bring the culprits into the gallows.
Lahat naman sila competent and all too qualified sa mga positions but the question is the integrity of their disposition. Tama ba o mali at walang kinikilingan ang kanilang mga hatol?
Mercy, walang personalan, trabaho at KAHIHIYAN LANG!
Kung hindi mo pa makuha ang punto dito, diyan ka na lang. Mamulupot ka sa bawat haligi ng opisina mo. Tutal, lumalabas na hindi lang makapal ang mukha mo, para kang amag na kahit anong pagpag ang gawin ay sasama lang sa hangin at mabubuong muli sa anyong gusto mong maging ikaw.
May I post here a comment I posted on another blog that got blocked:
“I am of many minds on this matter. Why can’t we just allow our regular institutions to take care of those issues? Truth Commission, the word “truth” alone is an all-encompassing word and the list of scandals involving exPres GMA itself is sooo long; what part of the truth are we interested in?
Yet it is also true that there are so many issues in the past, outside GMAs, that need closure as well. Like, is Aguinaldo really a hero? Of particular interest to me for one is who masterminded the killing of Ninoy, the President’s father. And many more. What about the truth about… ahem, Hacienda Luisita? Yet, take up all those issues and you are sure to dissipate the attention on GMAs misdeeds. Before long, NBN-ZTE is all but forgotten.
Politics is a bitch, isn’t it?”
Find another name. Davide Commission maybe. But Davide himself deserves to be investigated, don’t you think. His name is Hilario, a few letters away from “hilarous”.
kaninglupa (yan ba ang tagalog ng ricelander? hehehe, peace pare)
Sa totoo lang, ayoko rin ng Davide. Mas uso na ngayon, at mas malinaw pa, ang Blu-Ray.
Papatay-patay sa pagtatag ng Divided Commission. Ayan nag-plead na si Neri ng not guilty sa lower offense. Hindi na puwedeng mag-demanda ng plunder dahil double jeopardy na. Ganyan din ang mangyayaari kay Lorenzo.
Expect Merceditas to file more cases. Parang impeachment yan. Inoculate them with a bum charge (like Nani Perez). The difference is, ang impeachment, puwedeng ulitin after a year. Ang criminal case, dahil sa double jeopardy, wala nang ulitan.
Mahusay talagang manggago ang mga magnanakaw.Hindi kayo tatantanan niyan, just because hindi na pangulo. Naniniwala sila sa sinabi ni Baby Dalupan na the best defense is a good offense.
Sabi nga ni Jack Welch, you either act or react. You either make things happen, or they happen to you.
Bantayan din ang mga appointments. Tiyak na maraming trojan diyan. Isa na si Pangilinan. Ginamit ang showbiz (Kris, Shawie) para makalapit sa Pangulo. Did you notice, lagi siyang malapit sa kusina like Angara?
Sinasadya ni Davide na tulugan ang Tururut Commission para makaligtas ang mga alipores ng amo niya na si Gloria.
Si Kiko Noted Cuneta ang pinakasipsip kay Noynoy gamit si Magastar.
haha,tongue, kaninglupa is okay although it would be more like Tubongpalayanan. Tongue-twisted would be hmmm, Dilangpinagbuholbuhol? LOL. Peace man.
From Aurora Riel:
Is the new President serious about Davide heading the Truth Commission? It’s a really bad joke. He might as well round up all other corrupt GMA minions to task them with elimination of corruption.
I am more inclined toward departmental Truth Commission and encouraging/rewarding rather than previous punishment of whistleblowers. Of course, there should also be punishment/ removal of those who are not in earnest as whistleblowers. Thus, they should follow through to establishing evidence and witnesses of corrupt and dishonest acts of people who are supposed to be failing in their rendering of “faithful public service.”
If the new President is worth this new mandate, he would start a new order– requiring all government officials and employees to serve the public rather than behave like the public should serve them. Honesty and truth should start at the lowest governmental units. A new approach is needed. The littlest servants did not learn about service from the higher ones– Now, maybe we can get the Higher offcials to learn from the lowest ones, who have not been contaminated yet by the corruption virus that apparently the officials are infected with. But Truth Commission headed by Davide? Lord, have mercy. Values cannot be taught; but they can be caught. So, not from this one who proved to be another type of model.