Hitting the nail on the head....

I read with interest the March 6 edition of Conrado de Quiros' column There's The Rub, which featured a well-written piece simple entitled Guidelines.

It presents some of the well known columnist's thoughts on the declaration and subsequent lifting of the controversial Proclamation No. 1017. I believe he hit the nail on the head in that column of his. If you want to know why, just read on.

It's quite ironic that we as Filipino citizens, particularly those in media, have to
pay the price for leadership which apparently does not understand the value of following the rule of law.

As I have said a lot in my previous posts, the office of President of the Republic of the Philippines bears with it a sacred responsibility of upholding not only the country's laws, but also the country's values and sense of morality and decency. The Presidency is an institution far higher than the lofty ambitions of any single individual. The office itself, but not the occupant of the office, is beyond censure, beyond moral reproach. While no one is perfect, any person elevated to that post should aspire to perform his or her duty in consonance with the highest ideals of being a Filipino, and to protect the Office of the President from any blot or blemish.

It is in this regard the President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has failed miserably.

She has successfully established a reputation of being a liar, a cheater, and a thief. And while these accusations may not have been proven in any court or proceeding, these allegations are enough in themselves to virtually eliminate any semblance of moral ascendancy for her to govern this nation. No apology, no explanation can change this fact. She has already rolled the dice, and she has to live with the consequences. The majority, silent as they may be, have made up their minds - they don't want her to lead the country anymore. They may not take to the streets, but then again, they don't need too. People Power has been reduced to nothing more than a political tool and the people do not want to be used for this purpose again. For the President, it is already too late. Nothing she can do will ever endear herself to the people that she has alienated by her attempts at self-preservation.

Not even the lifting of Proclamation No. 1017. If President Arroyo is expecting to be treated like a saviour for lifting an oppressive decree, she is out of her mind. In one fell swoop she has delivered a mortal blow to the fundamental rights of Filipinos as enshrined in our Constitution. On the 24th of February, 2006, she has ripped the pages containing the provisions in our fundamental law ensuring the rights of peaceable assembly, freedom of expression, and freedom of the press, and wiped her ass with them (figuratively, of course). Now she returns the pages to us...all torn, wrinkled and soiled. And we're supposed to be grateful?

History has shown that fate has never been kind to those who have defiled the Presidency with greed, corruption, and aspirations to power. More so those who have failed to respect the people's rights.

SEC. 4. No law shall be passed abridging the freedom of speech, of expression, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble and petition the Government for redress of grievances.

Does she even understand this? Either she doesn't, or she just doesn't care, as long as she succeeds in keeping herself in power.

de Quiros' mention of a quote attributed to former President Corazon Aquino sent shivers down my spine: "defending democracy by the ways of democracy." It cannot be any more simple. Assuming that our very democracy was being threatened last February 24, you defend it with democratic means as well. You simply cannot defend a democracy by resorting to a dictatorship or despotism. To do so is to pay a high price just to maintain the status quo. Democracy may have been saved, but at what cost? At the expense of the rights of the people?

That's the reason why almost no one, save for her political allies, maybe not even them, trusts President Arroyo whole-heartedly. Would you trust someone who would sacrifice your own personal rights just to ensure his or her survival? I didn't think so.

You obliterate the rights of the people to stop a coup, you are not protecting the people from their enemies, you are protecting yourself from the people.

Right on the head.

The die has already been cast. True colors have been shown. It's now just a matter of time. History has shown that it always is.