Consumatum est?

It worked for Nigeria. The week-long nationwide strikes of the people protesting against the cut in government subsidies on oil that raised prices drastically, finally brought their president to his senses and he pronounced on Monday that fuel prices would be reduced by 30 percent. Alas, we have protested and protested, but oil prices here continue to confound us, going up and down like a yo-yo, sometimes several times in one month.

***

But it is different with Nigeria, since it is one of the richest oil-producing companies in the world. It was therefore quite mean of their officials to charge them high prices for what is just a native product. In our case, we do not produce any, so we have to bite the bullet everytime world prices soar, or dive. The only answer is to produce our own, or find an efficient and acceptable substitute.

***

Don’t look now, but it seems as if another country that could also face upheavals if matters are not handled properly now is North Korea. Only a few weeks ago, the country got a new leader after the death of the seemingly immortal Kim Jong-II. However, unlike democratic countries like ours, where succession is assured by our Constitution, North Korea, while not a monarchy, does not have laws assuring that, so Kim Jong-II had chosen one of his sons, Kim Jong-un, to succeed him.

***

The eldest son, who, we would think, should have been chosen, was sidelined, and he does not seem to care much. But, unlike his chosen brother, who often looks clueless, Jogn II-nam sounds as if he is more astute and level-headed. In a book based on interviews with him, authored by a Japanese journalist that was revealed in a report by Agence France Presse recently,Jong II-nam sounds rather pessimistic about the fate of his country. He expressed fears that the military, that had been getting more powerful during his father’s time, may eventually take over. And what could brother Jong-un do about it? Shall we see another Burma coming up? But they do not have an Aung Soon Su Kyi to inspire them.

***

Now I am sorry I spoke too soon about the tedium of watching the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona. After spending time listlessly while watching it on the first two days, I decided to stop and just wait for reports. Wrong timing, it now appears, because yesterday turned out to be quite exciting. After all the foot-dragging on the mysterious SALN (Statement of Assets and Liabilities) the Senate-Court finally extracted it from a Supreme Court employees that the Congressmen-prosecutors had presented.

***

So I had to watch all the later reports and footages to catch up. And saw the Supreme Court witness, Enriqueta Vidal, hesistantly declaring her trepidation about presenting the much sought after SALN of her boss, for whom she and her co-employees seem to be rooting so devoutly. And indeed, the SALN was everything that the prosecution had promised it to be. It was the real “smoking gun” that clamped the lid on that portion of the impeachment charges against the Chief Justice.

***

The funny thing is that, after the Senate Court had extracted the much protected SALN of Corona, and its revealing disclosures exposed, the SC spokesperson, or should we say, only Corona’s spokesperson, claimed without batting an eyelash that Corona had already agreed to present it. But I guess Midas Marquez’s job is just as demanding as those of former President Gloria Arroyo’s men, like now Rep. Anthony Golez, Ignacio Bunye and the others when they, too, had to DEFEND their Boss in such cases as the Hello Garci one, with straight faces.

***

I never listen to Teddy Locsin when he speaks after the World Tonight show because I dislike the idea of virtually editorializing the news (a no-no, our journalism professors like Armando Malay, Rod Reyes and Amando Doronila used to tell us), but last night I had to listen to him twice, at 10 p.m. and at midnight. It was he who already decided Case Number Two, when he said “It is over”, the Supreme Court is “no longer supreme”, had “disgraced itself before the nation and the world”, is “already maimed,” and had shown an “ultimate betrayal of public trust”.

Consumatum est?*

back to top