"Hands down, I am for the former."
"Hands down, I am for the former."
Who do you believe in interpreting the Constitution, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio or Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo?
Both are lawyers but I will have to cast my vote for Carpio who, as the second-highest magistrate in the land, quite obviously is more steeped in interpreting the law and the Constitution. Panelo’s view, on the other hand, shows that the President’s mouthpiece is biased in favor of his boss. That is his job if he wants to keep it.
Someone said he prefers former presidential spokesman Harry Roque more than Panelo. Why, I asked. He said it is because Panelo seems to have a permanent smirk on his face when facing the press.
The issue is President Duterte’s statement that he will allow the Chinese to fish in the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone despite the clear provision of the 1987 Constitution that waters in the country’s EEZ is exclusively for Filipino citizens to to use and enjoy. Complicating the controversy is Duterte’s revelation that he is doing this in implementation of a prior bilateral agreement with Xi Jinping.
The agreement was apparently signed during one of his many visits to China. The Senate has asked for details, but the Palace has denied this request. Now it is more pressing and could be the basis for the President’s impeachment as international treaties are supposed to be ratified by the Senate. As it is, the President shelved the Senate‘s ratification duty. But with the Senate now fully dominated by Duterte’s chosen ones, it looks far-fetched that the upper chamber will make any more noise except for the likes of Senators Richard Gordon and Panfilo Lacson who want Malacañang to release the contents and details of the Duterte-Xi accord on fishing in Philippine waters.
The President is supposed to protect the territorial sovereignty of the land and its citizens, the Filipino fishermen in this case. Their livelihood has been diminished; the Chinese, using trawlers, have depleted the West Philippine Sea of its bountiful fish supply.
But who will impeach the President? The House where any impeachment proceeding is supposed to start is stacked with the supermajority whose canine devotion to Digong knows no bounds is predictably silent on the issue. This, specially after President Duterte threatened to jail anyone who wants to impeach him. But apart for the house members, any concerned citizen can file an impeachment case against a President. But who would be willing to risk incarceration especially if detained at Camp Crame? Recall that a South Korean businessman arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking was killed right inside Camp Crame, giving rise to calling the national police headquarters as Camp Crime.
The funniest quote of the week on the Philippine fishing rights came from Senate President Tito Sotto. He said: “Who can tell whether this fish came from China or whether the fish swam all the way from the Philippines to China?” We have heard of bird watchers, but fish watchers ? Only Sotto would have the time to indulge in it instead of studying on how to run the Senate.
Meawhile, the House Speakership race has narrowed down to Marinduque Rep. Lord Alan Velasco and Leyte Rep. Martin Romualdez. Don’t count out Martin just yet even if the PDP-Laban Party of President Duterte has endorsed Velasco. Romualdez might still surprise Velasco with his support from other quarters of the House and probably even a word from presidential daughter and Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte who is close to the Marcos-Romualdez family. Her word could signal who the President prefers even if he had come out with a statement he is not endorsing anyone and will just let them fight in a labo-labo or free for all and let the best man win.
This week is crucial in the Speakership contest. The House will have to choose who will open the joint session of the 18th Congress for the President’s State of the Nation Address later this month.