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Have we gone this low in the morality gauge?
By Boy Guingguing

December 30 2006 - Can you imagine the gall of a former election commissioner who became notorious for his role in the 2004 elections blackmailing a duly constituted authority like the Philippine government? This was BGlante's reaction when the government minced no words in putting its back in the line of fire given the plan of Virgilio Garcillano to run for a Congress seat in Bukidnon in the 2007 polls. Wherever one looks at this latest Garcillano caper, we can only say that this is the price of maintaining so many ticking time bombs. Who are they? Yes, think of Garcillano as one of them. Or AFP Chief Hermogenes Esperon and former Navy chief Mateo Mayuga, to name a few.

Mayuga, before he retired headed a panel that investigated the role of the military in the 2004 polls. Until now, the public is yet to know the outcome of the Mayuga investigation. Esperon, for his part, was named one of the military generals involved in the alleged rigging of the said polls. What else do you expect from them but complete subservience to a government held captive by its own indiscretions. Spurn them and this government is courting disaster. How can the Philippine government appear so helpless? For one, the government of President Arroyo was already held hostage by Garcillano because of his role to tamper with the results of the 2004 presidential elections.

The same is true with Esperon, et al. And the government was paying a high price for infidelity of the people's mandate. The big question now is how can you solve a problem like Garcillano? Well, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales provided the answer. He said that those who are not contented with the way the DOJ handled the resolution of the perjury and falsification charges against Garcillano can seek redress from the New People's Army. Garcillano was absolved of all the charges filed by the opposition in the wake of last year's Hello Garci scandal. That was a harsh suggestion but coming as it did from the secretary of justice, we can take it with a grain of salt. And why not? By the way, what was the NPA doing while Garcillano was roaming around the nooks and crannies of Mindanao while avoiding a Senate inquiry about his role in the 2004 elections? We expect nothing but revolutionary justice from the armed wing of the rebel movement. That Garcillano has made a mockery of an established authority and therefore he should not be allowed to stay unpunished. He lied through his teeth and what better way to pass judgment than to mete out the justice he deserves. Unless, we have gone this low in the yardstick of morality.

2 new columnists start columns January 7-issue

As part of its face lifting program in the new year, the Post is reformatting the lay-out of its Opinion Page to pave the way for two new columnists. Starting on January 7 next year, the stable of Post's columnists will be boosted with the addition of lawyer Isabelo Sales, Jr. and Loy Palapos of Sashimi fame. Sales is no stranger to the Post's Opinion Page. Sometime in the 90's, he used to pen the column “The Looking Glass”. He'll be back in the same page on January 7 of the same column he is known of. Palapos, on the other hand, will be introduced to Post readers via his column “One on One”. Zeroing in on controversial subjects, Palapos conducts an interview type column in a one-on-one manner.

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