Administration schedule delayed

Yesterday, the House Committee on Justice went into overtime, debating on the meaning of substance and starting the affirmative and negative sides debating each other, even as the Palace insisted it was above it all.

Yesterday was all about securing one objective. And it was achieved. Opposition derails dismissal of impeach case. And rightly so. As Thomas Jefferson wrote, in his Manual on Parliamentary Practice,

The only weapons by which the minority can defend themselves against similar attempts from those in power, are the forms and rules of proceeding which have been adopted as they were found necessary from time to time, and are become the law of the House; by a strict adherence to which, the weaker party can only be protected from those irregularities and abuses which these forms were intended to check, and which the wantonness of power is but too often apt to suggest to large and successful majorities.

Jefferson’s views remain relevant, both to Americans, and I believe, to the Philippine Senate which refers to his work. See also the official Impeachment Strategy of the US House of Representatives.(RG Cruz blogs about the atmosphere at the House of Representatives, a curious case of bribery, and a big something to happen which he coyly leaves at that).

In other news, Amnesty International slams government.

Comelec Chairman supposedly reiterates intention to throw out “people’s initiative.” Widely expected to occur today, it may be that the filing is delayed or will be delayed until the House dispenses with the impeachment complaint -or, as some scuttlebutt has it, the impeachment hearing may serve as a smokescreen for the filing.

Disturbing statistics from Asian Development Bank: neighboring countries overtake Philippines in percentage of children enrolled in school; Philippine school enrollment dropping; number of kids getting vaccinations dropping; malnutrition increasing.

Oil spill off Guimaras.

Newsbreak has a feature on oil exploration in the Spratleys (see related news story: President revokes permit for Malaysian oil firm), Also, they have a feature on why the Philippines is still on probation as far as getting access to the US Millennium Challenge Account.

Interesting article on the Thai Senate and the dynamics surrounding the selection of election commissioners.

In the punditocracy my Arab News column for this week is Pro-Arroyo Civil Groups Have Power to Avoid Tough Funding Questions.

JB Baylon says the government’s silence on Joc-Joc Bolante (who has been moved to Chicago) is pregnant with meaning.

Manuel Buencamino compares the “people’s initiative” to Astroturf: a carpet that looks like grass minus the roots.

Columnist Lito Banayo has been slapped with a libel suit by the First Gentleman, and says the court has been treating him unfairly. Read Ellen Tordesillas and also, Lito Banayo’s account:
Summary And Chronology Re Inhibition
Bong Austero can’t stand checkpoints. Amen.

Patricio Diaz has an interesting two part series (see part 1 and part 2) on the prewar and postwar settling of Mindanao by Christians.

Marvin Tort examines a proposal to make the Philippines more energy sufficient.

Sydney Morning Herald advocates a renewed focus on town planning with a view to public health improvement.

In Malaysia, model of parliamentary government for the administration: what to do about Mahathir Mohamed? In Thailand, the price of keeping Thaksin in power.

The anniversary of the defeat of Japan has provoked a series of articles in Japanese media tackling the war: see the Asahi editorial on reexamining what war criminal, etc., means. See also, the Daily Yomiuri editorial. The Prime Minister, Koizumi, outraged people again by visiting the Yasukuni shrine, which even the Emperor no longer visits.

Gail Ilagan on writing, losing, and winning.

In the blogosphere, Comelec AKO on the promotion of Garcillano’s lieutenants .

Another Hundred Years Hence continues his thought-provoking series on democracy from a design perspective.

Philippine Commentary takes a broad, philosophical look at Gay rights. Carver House has a splendid entry and letter to the editor.

Morofilm on a year of blogging and column-writing and the challenges he’s faced.

On Iloilo City Boy’s endorsement of the parliamentary system, for the reasons he’s given, a proposed reading: “The Wisdom of Crowds” (James Surowiecki)

New Economist on questions over how the level of political debate has deteriorated in the UK.

Torn & Frayed says something I can identify with: spare a smile for lonely book publishers at book fairs.

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Manuel L. Quezon III.

14 thoughts on “Administration schedule delayed

  1. Insufficiency in Conscience is the crux.

    Other ‘sufficiency’ issues are secondary.

  2. But why should Bong Austero complain of the inconvenience those cops at the checkpoints inflicted on him? Isn’t he the guy who said that he was willing to give up his rights just so GMA could go on? If he can give up his very rights, why not his mere convenience?

  3. Shaman,

    Thanks for the remnder on Bong Austero’s conflicting statements.

    People who bury their heads in the sand leave their butts exposed and Gloria cannot resist the temptation.

  4. “El Esposo Gordo”‘s latest libel suit is against Jinggoy!

    Prior to that, it was erstwhile bud Mon Tulfo…

    Some powertrip Jose Pidal must be on right now…*wink*

  5. Now you know WHY most FILIPINOS wants to GET OUT of their country. HOPELESSNESS … Only in the PHILIPPINES where the TRUTH can never be seek out. As long as we have CONGRESSMEN who are UNPATRIOTIC, who’s loyalty is first to PARTY or to INDIVIDUAL … Where are the QUEZONS and MAGSAYSAY – Loyalty to the PARTY should END where my LOYALTY to my country begins… GMA is still lucky, because if our country is not an ARCHIPELAGO/ISLAND, I guess A GREAT EXODUS like what’s happening in the borders of Mexico to US will happen. Now i’m BEGINNING to QUESTION WHY GOD allows EVIL to TRIUMPH ? What about the TRUTH ? Is MONEY really that POWERFUL ? I WISH GMA WILL SOON PAY FOR ALL THE CRIMES SHE COMMIT … WE’RE HOPELSSS UNTIL WE TRY TO DO SOMETHING !!! CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE IS WHAT IS LEFT … LET’S UNITE AND SAVE WHAT IS LEFT BEFORE GLORIA DESTROYS ALL OF US …

  6. SHAME ON YOU … DATUMANONG, NOGRALES .. KEEP YOUR FILTHY MOUTH SHUT LUIS VILLAFUERTE !!! KAKAPAL NG MUKHA NYO !!!
    KUNIN NA SANA KAYO NI LORD … MAGBAGO NA KAYO !!! MGA SINUNGALING AT MANDARAYA !!!

  7. Can we have a LIST of ALL CONGRESSMEN who KILLS the IMPEACHMENT ? Maybe we should REMIND the PEOPLE of what their REPRESENTATIVES’ stand on the IMPEACHMENT until 2007 ELECTION. Let’s GET RID of PRO-GLORIA Congressmen so we can have a SUCCESSFUL 3RD IMPEACHMENT !!! GMA should go down in HISTORY to be the FIRST President who CHEATED, the FIRST to be IMPEACHED …

  8. How can you vote-out the anti-impeachment trapos if you have nobody to vote-in?
    Unless you have a stronger man-for-man line-up and voters vote according to conscience, the 2007 elections goes to the admin. I bet they’ll get more seats. Garci will win, sameway Iggy won.

    Vote-out JdeV, Nograles, Datumanong, etal? Can we have a survey in the districts where the anti-impeachment stalwarts ‘reign supreme’? If Bishop Oscar Cruz runs in Pangasinan, will you vote for him or JdV? How about Oscar Orbos vs JdV?

  9. Juan,

    Don’t kid yourself. The voting for the 2007 elections is over. The SOVs and COCs are already filled up. Did you think Gloria would leave anything to chance?

  10. Juan,

    Don’t kid yourself. The voting for the 2007 elections is over. The SOVs and COCs are already filled up. Did you think Gloria would leave anything to chance?

  11. Juan,

    Don’t kid yourself. The voting for the 2007 elections is over. The SOVs and COCs are already filled up. Did you think Gloria would leave anything to chance?

  12. Re: the ‘proposed reading’ – “The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki”

    I passed by the bookstore on my way back from work to get a copy and here are the interesting passages so far:

    …If you put together a big enough and diverse enough group of people and ask them to ‘make decisions affecting matters of general interest,’ that group’s decisions will, over time, be ‘intellectually [superior] to the isolated individual,’ no matter how smart or well-informed he is.”

    “…the four conditions that characterize wise crowds: diversity of opinion (each person should have some private information, even if it’s just an eccentric interpretation of known facts), independence (people’s opinions are not determined by the opinions of those around them), decentralization (people are able to specialize and draw on local knowledge), and aggregation (some mechanism exists for turning private judgements into a collective decision)

    The above effect can be attributed to the canceling out of individual errors within a large group – the opposite of ‘group think’ that can afflict smaller groups like the House of Representatives (or a Unicameral Parliament).

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