Impeachment season?

The party list congressman who filed the bill seeking the removal of God in official documents and religious symbols in government offices has backed out and withdrawn his controversial measure. House Bill No. 633 – was quickly pulled out by its author who also reportedly apologized when the flak he got for it kept growing. But I’m sure he already got what he wanted – a space in the front pages, and on TV headlines. That is why I am not mentioning his name here, I do not want to be tricked into his ploy for attention.

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Some solons have reportedly been only tolerating the author of the bill because he is said to be very young. Not at all young people are foolish, and none that I know would be so foolish as to undertake such a campaign. We can only hope that he never gets re-elected, because the funds that are paid to him are only wasted government money. Maybe he is an admirer of that crazy poet who said it is better to be talked about it in a bad way than not to be talked about at all.

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Paraguay has just impeached its president and the people are now looking for somebody to take his place, but ignoring his successor. The disgraced president, Fernando Lugo, was tried by an impeachment court, also composed of senators, who voted to sack him. Isn’t that awesome? Here we only impeached a chief justice, there they get rid of their own elected president. Lugo has reportedly accepted his fate, but is hoping that his next in line official will take over, but his people are not having any of that.

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In Egypt, meanwhile, elections were held but people wondered why the results were not being announced until the demands for them got stronger. It turned out that the one who won was the candidate of the Muslim Brotherhood, named Mohamed Morsi. This did not sit well with the other sects, but even if the voting was tight – 51.7 percent against 48.2 for the runner-up - and chaos broke out in the public square that could be going on until now.

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Whenever I see on TV or read in the papers reports about people rising up in peaceful protests (or even chaotic ones) against what they perceive to be injustice or abuse of those in power, I remember our country’s own sorties into what evolved as the original people power revolution. In this, we can say that ours was the forerunner, the model for successful protests against perceived wrongdoings of an administration. And we can always be proud of the fact that, while ours was a bloodless, but very successful one, those that followed cannot claim to be as “clean” nor as victorious. For that we should always be grateful, and promise ourselves never to allow any dictator or tyrant to remain in power.

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The Commission on Election is said to be cooling its heels while waiting for Senator Miriam Santiago to make up her mind as to whether she is giving up her Senate seat or not, because the next election is looming. As we all know, Sen. Santiago has been elected to the International Criminal Court, and that is not supposed to be compatible with her elective office. So which will she choose? Stay on in the Senate where, maybe there will be another impeachment case where she can browbeat both witnesses and panel members, or move on to the prestigious United Nations body where she may be obliged to hold her temper? The Comelec is waiting, but who can hurry La Miriam?

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From the way many Filipinos sound it is as if they only batted for the Miami Heat in the NBA games because their coach was Erik Spoelstra, who has half Pinoy blood. Spoelstra’s mother is a Filipina from Laguna, and he has also been to the Philippines and has tried to teach young people how to play basketball. Many are excited because he has reportedly announced that he will bring the NBA trophy with him the next time he comes to the Philippines. He’s not only a good coach, he’s got good P.R., too.

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It is true, indeed, that Malacañang people are keeping close tabs on the provincial media. Saturday, I got a text message from presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda commenting on that day’s column and expressing thanks for it. Could he have a contact in Bacolod, or maybe a mole in the media? Should we ask our friend MK?*

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