Political corruption is when government officials use their governmental powers for illegitimate private gain. What is wrong with corruption ? “Corruption deadens the soul. It robs you of hope. Many people think that corruption only steals the money of the people but what they don’t realize is that it kills the spirit, “ Jun says ruefully.
For people to feel and repeat openly that ‘ wala na mangyayari diyan; huwag na tayo manggulo. Let’s just be silent , ‘ saddens Jun Lozada. “ Those voices are of a people who have already lost their hope. Those are the voices of a nation that has already lost faith and hope in its own people. That is sad ; it is worse than death. You are physically alive but your soul is dead. They eat, take a rest, go to work, sleep then die. That’s it. They tell the next generation : bahala na kayo sa buhay ninyo. I am sure it will be a worse life than the ones we had but bahala na kayo. That is really sad when you can not even feel pain. That is what is happening now.”
“Without hope, the spirit is gone. We are a country without spirit.” Jun says with sorrow.
The Philippines is a rich country. Rodolfo Noel “Jun” Lozada, the former CEO of the Philippine Forest Corporation, states that our natural resources include 14 million hectares of idle land. If one hectare per family is given, there will be 14 million families with livelihood. “The country is rich but the spirit is broken. No matter how well you are, if your spirit is broken…” his statement tails off. “ This is one nation that I would say the spirit is completely broken. We have to mend it back. “
Ever since February 7, 2008 , Jun Lozada has not been home. His testimony in the Senate hearings regarding the overpricing of the ZTE deal implicated FG Mike Arroyo and former Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. “I am taking a lot of risks. I have hurt so many people who are still in power. “
Jun realizes that we can not go on just complaining and complaining. He relates our society’s attitude to the classic story of the Emperor’s New Clothes. The emperor, drunk with power, was given an invisible suit by unscrupulous merchants who claimed that only the righteous can see the suit. But the emperor, being not righteous, pretended that he could see the robe. So he was parading in his kingdom stark naked and everyone was so scared to point out to him that he had no clothes on. It took a little boy to have the courage to point out the fact that the emperor was naked. Only then did the people laugh and ridicule the emperor for being naked.
“ Here we are trying to pretend that there are some institutions that are working. We know that they are lying but few have the courage to confront their lies. According to the last survey, 60 per cent of Filipinos believe my testimony. I did not seek out to be famous but now that is the price I have to pay,” Jun said.
When Jun, who is an electronics and communications engineer, is not holed up in his rooms in La Salle, Greenhills, he attends forums across the country. The message he shares are painful reflections. “ In this country now , truth telling is a very costly endeavor; should you know someone who would like to tell the truth, you should encourage them to tell the truth. When I wanted to tell the truth, no one encouraged me to tell the truth. Don’t you find it so ironic? I had to defend my desire to tell the truth. “
In Jun’s view, three lessons stand out which he is eager for Filipinos to realize:
.
The constitutional institutions in this country do not work. “There is no justice system in the Philippines now. What we have is a legal system. Even if it is not good, even if it is not fair, even if it is not just, as long as it is legal, then it is passed. The institutions where you are suppposed to run and seek justice are not there.”
The second lesson is that in this country , we welcome corruption in our midst and have completely accepted it. When people say that there is someone stealing and having a different lifestyle after going into power, we accept it. And when that person reaches out to give us some money, then we are quick to say, ‘ oh he is good pala. Ok pala. Pretty soon everyone is like that. We don’t just welcome it, we have accepted it. From getting a license that we can just pay off …
The third lesson is that truth is like light, especially in a dark place. When you try to shine a light , you will be the first one that the glare will be on. The light will expose all your dirt so you have to accept it. It is a lesson in humility. You can not be selective with your truth. But just because Jun has participated in some sins , he didn’t want to be involved in bigger sins against the people. “ If I have to admit my past sins, yes , I will. I don’t want to be part of the bigger and bigger evil. “
With 89 million Filipinos searching for what to do to transform the country, Jun recommends “Let us be truthful.” The 45-year old crusader believes that each individual needs to start by telling the truth for without truth, there is no justice and without justice there is no peace.
Truth alliances are starting to form in churches, youth groups and society. The movement to proclaim the truth was re-ignited by Jun Lozada. “We can not just kneel down and pray. We need to act. We can start by individually telling the truth. “
Email : aurorawilson@gmail.com
Bold : “Corruption deadens the soul. It robs you of hope. Many people think that corruption only steals the money of the people but what they don’t realize is that it kills the spirit, “ Jun says ruefully
Photo caption : Our Noted hero, Rodolfo “Jun” Lozada, is honored for his courage to testify in the Senate hearings about the overpricing on the natioal broadband network of the Philippine government. He now occupies his time with speaking engagements in schools and forums across the country.
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Friday, September 12, 2008
Surprised by Love
Sorrow filled Dino’s mind. . After working with his family’s firm for five years, Dino had become very active in the corporate planning department of Rustan’s. Sadly, a disagreement between his grandfather, Lolo Benny Tantoco, and his mother, Merl Tantoco Pineda, caused a rift in the family.
“ My brother, Eman, opened a boutique called Adora . It was a niche that Rustan’s did not want to enter and my Lolo Benny wanted us to close Adora. On the Pineda’s side, we believed that Eman was just trying to fulfill what he felt was his God - given talent. We decided to support my brother.” In September , 2007, Dino was forced to leave the Rustan’s family corporation.
Dino was in a quandary. He felt justified about wanting to fight. His sorrow turned to anger when he pleaded with his relatives to give him a chance to keep his job. He was denied. This was his only means of earning a living. All of a sudden, Dino felt fear. How was he to feed his family and send his children to school ?
“Immediately after, I created a plan on how to act and hurt them. In my initial plan, my success was going to be dependent on how I would hurt my relatives. Then I remembered my cousin, Manong Joel , who died at 38 years old. “ Dino used to meet with his Manong Joel Tantoco in Rustan’s every day. “His death made me realize that I also could die anytime and if I spend my time trying to fight the family then , what if tomorrow I got hit by a bus , I would have died angry at my family. “ Dino, 37, tried to convince himself that life is not worth living if it is ruined by hate.
He knew he had to make a choice : either to live with anger against his family or to spend his time doing something else.
It happened that Eddie Pineda, Dino’s dad, was also evaluating his own direction in life. A succesful sugar trader, Eddie was thinking about retiring and wondering what else he could do. “The thought that kept coming back to my mind was ‘when I go, what have I done ? “ Eddie felt the need to leave a legacy.
Giving something to someone seemed like the easiest option. Eddie thought about how his parents’ dreams to provide education for their six children made them so happy. He felt inspired by his mother’s dedication as an educator, teaching Cathecism for 36 years . Even now, at 102 yrs old, his mom, Caring Pineda, wanted him to build a school. It seemed to Eddie that his legacy would be to establish a school.
“When my dad said ‘I want to start something, ‘ I said, ‘ Dad, I want to do something good. At least it is better than doing something bad. “ and that is how Dino committed himself to working with his dad on a school project.
The Learned leading the Blind
“ Dino and I were discussing about our school; somehow we started talking to Gawad Kalinga (GK) and members of Couples for Christ . GK offered their place and suggested that we put up the school in one of their villages. “ Eddie was thrilled with the idea of setting up within the GK community.
With 650 families living in the GK community of Pandi, Bulacan, the place desperately needed its own education facility. Most of the families living there do not have the money to pay for their children’s transportation to school. Eddie and Dino values formation and shown their spirit in helping to build their own homes.
Now that they had a 1000 sq m. site, the details of setting up a school faced them. Every day became an exercise in discovering what else needed to be done. Dino took care of the paper works to establish their foundation, which they named Caring Jesus Educational Foundation (CJEF) in honor of Eddie’s parents, Caring and Jesus Pineda. A curriculum was developed initially with the help of the teacher’s association they met through the Metrobank Foundation’s Ten Outstanding Teachers awards.
Dino started meeting with officials from the Dept. of Education, nuns running schools for children of scavengers and companies like ABS CBN Foundation who ran “an amazing school for the best and the brightest in Pampanga. “
The CJEF supplied the design and materials needed to build the first phase of the school and the residents built it in time for the school opening in June, 2008.
A Model School for GK Communities
From the small plan of opening up a grade 1 classroom with the GK Community of Pandi, the vision evolved into having this school serve as a template which can be replicated in any of the 2000 GK communities around the Philippines. For the first time, GK members sit on the board of the school; guidelines are being formed which would make it easier for other companies and families to set up GK schools, sometimes with a tax rebate on the funds that donors spend.
“The classroom was about 300,000 Pesos; then there are operating costs like salaries of the teachers. The parents are active , cleaning and maintaining the school and now they are getting involved with feeding. A nun who is guiding us, Sister Cora, tells us that there is no way an undernourished child can accept a level of cognition and so we have to give them some food, “ Eddie says.
“You want them educated, you have to give them whatever they need. If they need paper, you have to give them paper. Those are the very minimal things that you have to give. I am not really scared because now we are just doing it one grade at a time. Next year, we will set up Grade 2. Whether it fails or is successful, the important part is that I am sharing something that I believe is good. “ Eddie’s philosophical attitude strenghtens him. “ Win or lose, we are getting it done. “
One year after the dispute in Rustan’s, Dino reflects on how his life and values have transformed. “ When I realized that there was so much anger between their side and ours, I thought about how would love come in ? I rationalized that it was my duty to fight for the future of the bank account for my kids but I realized that I was wrong. My duty was not financial first but to teach my children acts of love.”
In his reconciliation with his Lolo Benny and other relatives in the Rustan’s corporation, Dino shared with them the thrill of his new life. “ I am so happy now. I have discovered so many treasures and goodness in the Filipino people. I can only thank you.” Lolo Benny smiled.
Bold : Win or lose, we are getting it done.
Photo caption : ( Flag photo ) Not knowing much about how to set up a school created many challenges for Eddie Pineda and his son, Dino. When a school adviser asked Eddie what time would their flag ceremony be, Dino realized ,
“Oh, no.We do not even have a flag pole ! Buy the flag. “
Photo caption : ( Dino with wheel chair ) Dino first saw Diane when she looked longingly at the school in their GK community. Diane told him that she could not attend school because she could not walk. A week later, Dino received a call from his friend who wanted to donate a wheelchair.
Sorrow filled Dino’s mind. . After working with his family’s firm for five years, Dino had become very active in the corporate planning department of Rustan’s. Sadly, a disagreement between his grandfather, Lolo Benny Tantoco, and his mother, Merl Tantoco Pineda, caused a rift in the family.
“ My brother, Eman, opened a boutique called Adora . It was a niche that Rustan’s did not want to enter and my Lolo Benny wanted us to close Adora. On the Pineda’s side, we believed that Eman was just trying to fulfill what he felt was his God - given talent. We decided to support my brother.” In September , 2007, Dino was forced to leave the Rustan’s family corporation.
Dino was in a quandary. He felt justified about wanting to fight. His sorrow turned to anger when he pleaded with his relatives to give him a chance to keep his job. He was denied. This was his only means of earning a living. All of a sudden, Dino felt fear. How was he to feed his family and send his children to school ?
“Immediately after, I created a plan on how to act and hurt them. In my initial plan, my success was going to be dependent on how I would hurt my relatives. Then I remembered my cousin, Manong Joel , who died at 38 years old. “ Dino used to meet with his Manong Joel Tantoco in Rustan’s every day. “His death made me realize that I also could die anytime and if I spend my time trying to fight the family then , what if tomorrow I got hit by a bus , I would have died angry at my family. “ Dino, 37, tried to convince himself that life is not worth living if it is ruined by hate.
He knew he had to make a choice : either to live with anger against his family or to spend his time doing something else.
It happened that Eddie Pineda, Dino’s dad, was also evaluating his own direction in life. A succesful sugar trader, Eddie was thinking about retiring and wondering what else he could do. “The thought that kept coming back to my mind was ‘when I go, what have I done ? “ Eddie felt the need to leave a legacy.
Giving something to someone seemed like the easiest option. Eddie thought about how his parents’ dreams to provide education for their six children made them so happy. He felt inspired by his mother’s dedication as an educator, teaching Cathecism for 36 years . Even now, at 102 yrs old, his mom, Caring Pineda, wanted him to build a school. It seemed to Eddie that his legacy would be to establish a school.
“When my dad said ‘I want to start something, ‘ I said, ‘ Dad, I want to do something good. At least it is better than doing something bad. “ and that is how Dino committed himself to working with his dad on a school project.
The Learned leading the Blind
“ Dino and I were discussing about our school; somehow we started talking to Gawad Kalinga (GK) and members of Couples for Christ . GK offered their place and suggested that we put up the school in one of their villages. “ Eddie was thrilled with the idea of setting up within the GK community.
With 650 families living in the GK community of Pandi, Bulacan, the place desperately needed its own education facility. Most of the families living there do not have the money to pay for their children’s transportation to school. Eddie and Dino values formation and shown their spirit in helping to build their own homes.
Now that they had a 1000 sq m. site, the details of setting up a school faced them. Every day became an exercise in discovering what else needed to be done. Dino took care of the paper works to establish their foundation, which they named Caring Jesus Educational Foundation (CJEF) in honor of Eddie’s parents, Caring and Jesus Pineda. A curriculum was developed initially with the help of the teacher’s association they met through the Metrobank Foundation’s Ten Outstanding Teachers awards.
Dino started meeting with officials from the Dept. of Education, nuns running schools for children of scavengers and companies like ABS CBN Foundation who ran “an amazing school for the best and the brightest in Pampanga. “
The CJEF supplied the design and materials needed to build the first phase of the school and the residents built it in time for the school opening in June, 2008.
A Model School for GK Communities
From the small plan of opening up a grade 1 classroom with the GK Community of Pandi, the vision evolved into having this school serve as a template which can be replicated in any of the 2000 GK communities around the Philippines. For the first time, GK members sit on the board of the school; guidelines are being formed which would make it easier for other companies and families to set up GK schools, sometimes with a tax rebate on the funds that donors spend.
“The classroom was about 300,000 Pesos; then there are operating costs like salaries of the teachers. The parents are active , cleaning and maintaining the school and now they are getting involved with feeding. A nun who is guiding us, Sister Cora, tells us that there is no way an undernourished child can accept a level of cognition and so we have to give them some food, “ Eddie says.
“You want them educated, you have to give them whatever they need. If they need paper, you have to give them paper. Those are the very minimal things that you have to give. I am not really scared because now we are just doing it one grade at a time. Next year, we will set up Grade 2. Whether it fails or is successful, the important part is that I am sharing something that I believe is good. “ Eddie’s philosophical attitude strenghtens him. “ Win or lose, we are getting it done. “
One year after the dispute in Rustan’s, Dino reflects on how his life and values have transformed. “ When I realized that there was so much anger between their side and ours, I thought about how would love come in ? I rationalized that it was my duty to fight for the future of the bank account for my kids but I realized that I was wrong. My duty was not financial first but to teach my children acts of love.”
In his reconciliation with his Lolo Benny and other relatives in the Rustan’s corporation, Dino shared with them the thrill of his new life. “ I am so happy now. I have discovered so many treasures and goodness in the Filipino people. I can only thank you.” Lolo Benny smiled.
Bold : Win or lose, we are getting it done.
Photo caption : ( Flag photo ) Not knowing much about how to set up a school created many challenges for Eddie Pineda and his son, Dino. When a school adviser asked Eddie what time would their flag ceremony be, Dino realized ,
“Oh, no.We do not even have a flag pole ! Buy the flag. “
Photo caption : ( Dino with wheel chair ) Dino first saw Diane when she looked longingly at the school in their GK community. Diane told him that she could not attend school because she could not walk. A week later, Dino received a call from his friend who wanted to donate a wheelchair.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Sabio vs Sabio
Sabio vs Sabio
Silence filled the court room as the man in a white barong went up to the witness stand. The microphone shrieked and had to be adjusted before he could swear to tell the truth. Then Camilo Sabio, the chairman of Philippine Commission on Good Government (PCGG), calmly sat down.
He was appearing on a subpoena from the panel investigating the improprieties committed by Justices of the Court of Appeals in the Meralco vs. Government Services Insurance System ( GSIS ) case. Camilo Sabio was asked to testify about a phone call he made to his brother, Justice Jose Sabio,Jr. To the surprise of many, Jose had mentioned this phone call in his affidavit which, in part, reads :
… On May 30, on or about 8 o' clock in the morning, while I was at my chambers, I received a call from my brother, PCGG Chairman Camilo Sabio, informing me that I was the third member of the division to which the Meralco - GSIS case was raffled. This was a surprise to me because I had not yet been officially informed about it. He then said that he heard that a TRO was already prepared. At this point, he then tried to convince me of the rightness of the stand of the GSIS and the SEC. I then told him that I will vote according to my conscience and that the most I can do is to have the issuance of the TRO and the injunctive relief scheduled for oral arguments. I also told him that during said hearing, respondents must be able to convince me that the TRO did not have a legal basis.
… Not long thereafter, Justice Vicente Roxas entered my chambers....
Before he testified, Camilo Sabio asked permission to read his prepared statement. The panel chairman, retired Justice Carolina Grino-Aquino looked straight at him and nodded . He narrated in great details his reasons for ignoring the subpoena issued earlier by the panel because he had commitments to attend to abroad. The audience began to fidget. The two other panel members— Retired Justices Flerida Romero and Romeo Callejo--listened intently. Soon enough, it was obvious that Callejo was looking out towards the the glass windows.
Throughout the hearings, Callejo was the most animated panel judge. By the tone of his voice, or the clenching of his fists, I could sense his approval or disapproval of the actions of the Justices being questioned. When he looked towards the glass windows, I felt that his patience was being tested.
Camilo Sabio went on to state that his position as PCGG Chairman had been elevated and that he is now a member of the cabinet. Murmurs started humming amongst the audience. He will ask for executive privilege, some of the people whispered. Aquino, gazing directly at the witness who sat about 10 ft. away from her, immediately addressed the issue. “No, I am not invoking executive priviledge,” Camilo Sabio stated. When asked how he preferred to be addressed, he said,
“ Secretary Sabio. “
The first signs of the angle that Camilo Sabio would take in his defense came with his preface, “… My basic mandate as a government official is to protect the long-suffering public who are at the mercy of the monopoly of Meralco… “ Some muffled comments came from the audience which grew into more audible snickers the third time he repeated the phrase “ long-suffering public.”
Camilo’s monologue continued on how 38 years ago, during the Marcos years, he was arrested and jailed. By this time, Callejo’s silver ballpen was tapping the desk louder and faster than he had done at any other time during the earlier hearings. Minutes were ticking away and we were all eager to know the details of Camilo Sabio’s phone call to his brother
From cross examination and further questions, Camilo declared that he believed “… there is nothing wrong with what I did. “ Romero wanted to clarify this stance and asked him if he felt there was anything improper, illegal or unethical about a relative calling up a justice to influence him on how to decide a case? Camilo replied, “ No. Given the same circumstances, I would probably do it again. “ Callejo’s ballpen was nearly hammering the table top with these replies and his hands covered his mouth.
TRO and 1.30 pm
The panel judges needed to have Camilo narrate how he got the information about the TRO being prepared. Camilo said that when he was in Davao airport he got a phone call from Atty Jesus Santos who informed him that the TRO was being drafted and to “Please help!” Callejo asked if this is the same Atty. Santos who represented Mike Arroyo in libel cases. “Yes,” Camilo admitted that Atty. Santos is counsel to Mike Arroyo. Camilo said that he tried to call his brother, Jose, about 10 am but the airplane was taking off and he could not hear so he waited until he reached Manila to call his brother again. What time was that ? “ About 1.30 pm.” ( This contradicts Jose’s affidavit that gave the time of the phone call as 8 AM.) Camilo also testified that his brother, Jose, said during their telephone conversation that “… it is too late. I have already signed the TRO.”
Knowing that Camilo is a lawyer and after having been read the different canons of the law which specifically stated that he had breached laws, Romero asked him what thoughts were going through his mind during the flight from Davao to Manila; did Camilo have any thoughts about the conflict of calling his brother to influence him? My heart beat even faster with the tension, knowing that Camilo was defiant about his actions. Callejo wanted to know if Camilo thought that any member of the cabinet can call a justice of the court of appeals to ask him to “Help “ to which Camilo replied, “… these were peculiar circumstances… I called him because he is my brother … but I would not have called him if he was not the justice involved in the court case. ”
The panel judges were respectful of Camilo although their determined mouths shaped an inverted smile. Callejo then proceeded to ask Camilo if Jose had mentioned that someone had offered a bribe. Again, Camilo replied, “ Yes “ but he could not recall when or where Jose had told him about the bribe offer. Camilo then testified that his reaction to bribe offers is to ignore them and not make a fuss because he gets bribe offers regularly. No, he would not consider reporting these bribe offers, he said. Camilo’s attitude caused Callejo to clench his fists, shake his head and reply “ … that is the difference between us. “
---------------
Camilo’s attitude caused Callejo to clench his fists, shake his head and reply “ … that is the difference between us. .. “
Silence filled the court room as the man in a white barong went up to the witness stand. The microphone shrieked and had to be adjusted before he could swear to tell the truth. Then Camilo Sabio, the chairman of Philippine Commission on Good Government (PCGG), calmly sat down.
He was appearing on a subpoena from the panel investigating the improprieties committed by Justices of the Court of Appeals in the Meralco vs. Government Services Insurance System ( GSIS ) case. Camilo Sabio was asked to testify about a phone call he made to his brother, Justice Jose Sabio,Jr. To the surprise of many, Jose had mentioned this phone call in his affidavit which, in part, reads :
… On May 30, on or about 8 o' clock in the morning, while I was at my chambers, I received a call from my brother, PCGG Chairman Camilo Sabio, informing me that I was the third member of the division to which the Meralco - GSIS case was raffled. This was a surprise to me because I had not yet been officially informed about it. He then said that he heard that a TRO was already prepared. At this point, he then tried to convince me of the rightness of the stand of the GSIS and the SEC. I then told him that I will vote according to my conscience and that the most I can do is to have the issuance of the TRO and the injunctive relief scheduled for oral arguments. I also told him that during said hearing, respondents must be able to convince me that the TRO did not have a legal basis.
… Not long thereafter, Justice Vicente Roxas entered my chambers....
Before he testified, Camilo Sabio asked permission to read his prepared statement. The panel chairman, retired Justice Carolina Grino-Aquino looked straight at him and nodded . He narrated in great details his reasons for ignoring the subpoena issued earlier by the panel because he had commitments to attend to abroad. The audience began to fidget. The two other panel members— Retired Justices Flerida Romero and Romeo Callejo--listened intently. Soon enough, it was obvious that Callejo was looking out towards the the glass windows.
Throughout the hearings, Callejo was the most animated panel judge. By the tone of his voice, or the clenching of his fists, I could sense his approval or disapproval of the actions of the Justices being questioned. When he looked towards the glass windows, I felt that his patience was being tested.
Camilo Sabio went on to state that his position as PCGG Chairman had been elevated and that he is now a member of the cabinet. Murmurs started humming amongst the audience. He will ask for executive privilege, some of the people whispered. Aquino, gazing directly at the witness who sat about 10 ft. away from her, immediately addressed the issue. “No, I am not invoking executive priviledge,” Camilo Sabio stated. When asked how he preferred to be addressed, he said,
“ Secretary Sabio. “
The first signs of the angle that Camilo Sabio would take in his defense came with his preface, “… My basic mandate as a government official is to protect the long-suffering public who are at the mercy of the monopoly of Meralco… “ Some muffled comments came from the audience which grew into more audible snickers the third time he repeated the phrase “ long-suffering public.”
Camilo’s monologue continued on how 38 years ago, during the Marcos years, he was arrested and jailed. By this time, Callejo’s silver ballpen was tapping the desk louder and faster than he had done at any other time during the earlier hearings. Minutes were ticking away and we were all eager to know the details of Camilo Sabio’s phone call to his brother
From cross examination and further questions, Camilo declared that he believed “… there is nothing wrong with what I did. “ Romero wanted to clarify this stance and asked him if he felt there was anything improper, illegal or unethical about a relative calling up a justice to influence him on how to decide a case? Camilo replied, “ No. Given the same circumstances, I would probably do it again. “ Callejo’s ballpen was nearly hammering the table top with these replies and his hands covered his mouth.
TRO and 1.30 pm
The panel judges needed to have Camilo narrate how he got the information about the TRO being prepared. Camilo said that when he was in Davao airport he got a phone call from Atty Jesus Santos who informed him that the TRO was being drafted and to “Please help!” Callejo asked if this is the same Atty. Santos who represented Mike Arroyo in libel cases. “Yes,” Camilo admitted that Atty. Santos is counsel to Mike Arroyo. Camilo said that he tried to call his brother, Jose, about 10 am but the airplane was taking off and he could not hear so he waited until he reached Manila to call his brother again. What time was that ? “ About 1.30 pm.” ( This contradicts Jose’s affidavit that gave the time of the phone call as 8 AM.) Camilo also testified that his brother, Jose, said during their telephone conversation that “… it is too late. I have already signed the TRO.”
Knowing that Camilo is a lawyer and after having been read the different canons of the law which specifically stated that he had breached laws, Romero asked him what thoughts were going through his mind during the flight from Davao to Manila; did Camilo have any thoughts about the conflict of calling his brother to influence him? My heart beat even faster with the tension, knowing that Camilo was defiant about his actions. Callejo wanted to know if Camilo thought that any member of the cabinet can call a justice of the court of appeals to ask him to “Help “ to which Camilo replied, “… these were peculiar circumstances… I called him because he is my brother … but I would not have called him if he was not the justice involved in the court case. ”
The panel judges were respectful of Camilo although their determined mouths shaped an inverted smile. Callejo then proceeded to ask Camilo if Jose had mentioned that someone had offered a bribe. Again, Camilo replied, “ Yes “ but he could not recall when or where Jose had told him about the bribe offer. Camilo then testified that his reaction to bribe offers is to ignore them and not make a fuss because he gets bribe offers regularly. No, he would not consider reporting these bribe offers, he said. Camilo’s attitude caused Callejo to clench his fists, shake his head and reply “ … that is the difference between us. “
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Camilo’s attitude caused Callejo to clench his fists, shake his head and reply “ … that is the difference between us. .. “
Friday, August 29, 2008
Sabio vs Sabio
Silence filled the court room as the man in a white barong went up to the witness stand. The microphone shrieked and had to be adjusted before he could swear to tell the truth. Then Camilo Sabio, the chairman of PCGG ( Philippine Commission on Good Government ), calmly sat down.
He was appearing on a subpoena from the panel investigating the improprieties committed by Justices of the Court of Appeals. Apparently, Camilo Sabio had called his brother, Justice Jose Sabio,Jr. , to “help” the Government Services Insurance System ( GSIS ) win its case against Meralco. To the surprise of many, Jose had included this phone call in his affidavit which, in part, read :
2. On May 30, on or about 8 o' clock in the morning, while I was at my chambers, I received a call from my brother, PCGG Chairman Camilo Sabio, informing me that I was the third member of the division to which the Meralco - GSIS case was raffled. This was a surprise to me because I had not yet been officially informed about it. He then said that he heard that a TRO was already prepared. At this point, he then tried to convince me of the rightness of the stand of the GSIS and the SEC. I then told him that I will vote according to my conscience and that the most I can do is to have the issuance of the TRO and the injunctive relief scheduled for oral arguments. I also told him that during said hearing respondents must be able to convince me that the TRO did not have a legal basis.3. Not long thereafter, Justice Vicente Roxas entered my chambers....
Before he testified, Camilo Sabio asked permission to read his prepared statement. The panel chairman, retired Justice Carolina Grino – Aquino looked straight at him and nodded her head. As he narrated his reasons for ignoring the subpoena issued earlier by the panel investigating the improprieties of the Justices of the Court of Appeals, the audience began to fidget. The two other panel members – fellow retired Justices Flerida Romero and Romeo Callejo – listened intently. Soon enough, Callejo looked away at the glass windows.
Camilo Sabio went on about his being a member of the cabinet. A murmur started humming amongst the audience : he will ask for executive priviledge, some of the people whispered to each other. Aquino immediately addressed the issue. “No, I am not invoking executive priviledge,” Camilo Sabio stated, and he said that he preferred to be called “ Secretary Sabio. “
The first signs of the angle that Camilo Sabio would take in his defense came with his preface of “… My basic mandate as a government official is to protect the long-suffering public who are at the mercy of the monopoly of Meralco… “ Some snickers followed from the audience which grew more audibly when he repeated the ‘long-suffering public’ phrase the third time.
Then the monologue continued on how 38 years ago, during the Marcos years, he was arrested, jailed and how he forgave his oppressors. By this time, Callejo’s silver ballpen was tapping the desk faster than he had done at any other time during the hearings. Minutes were ticking away and we were all eager to know the details of Camilo Sabio’s phone call to his brother
From cross examination and further questions, Camilo declared that he believed “… there is nothing wrong with what I did. “ Romero wanted to clarify this stance and asked him if he felt there was anything improper, illegal or unethical about a relative calling up a justice to influence him on how to decide a case? Camilo replied, “ No. Given the same circumstances, I would probably do it again. “ Callejo’s ballpen was nearly hammering the table top with these replies and his hands covered his mouth.
TRO and 1.30 pm
The panel judges needed to have Camilo narrate how he got the information about the TRO being prepared. Camilo said that when he was in Davao airport he got a phone call from Atty Jesus Santos who informed him that the TRO was being drafted and to “Please Help.” Callejo asked if this is the same Atty. Santos who represents Mike Arroyo in the libel cases. Yes, Camilo replied. Camilo continued that he tried to call his brother, Jose, but the airplane was taking off and he could not hear so he waited until he reached Manila to call his brother again. What time was that ? “ About 1.30 pm.” ( very different from the 8 am mentioned in the affidavit listed above )
Knowing that Camilo is a lawyer and after having been read the different canons of the law which specifically stated that he had breached laws, Romero asked him what thoughts were going through his mind during the flight from Davao to Manila; did Camilo have any thoughts about the conflict of calling his brother to influence him? My heart beat even faster with the tension, knowing that Camilo was defiant about his actions. Callejo wanted to know if Camilo thought that ‘…any member of the cabinet can call a justice of the court of appeals to ask him … “ to which Camilo replied, “… these were peculiar circumstances.”
The panel judges were respectful of Camilo although their determined mouths shaped an inverted smile. Callejo then proceeded to ask Camilo if Jose had mentioned that someone had offered a bribe. Again, Camilo replied, “ Yes “ but he could not recall when. Apparently, Camilo’s reaction to bribe offers is to ignore them and not make a fuss because he gets bribe offers regularly. No, he never would consider reporting these bribe offers. Camilo’s attitude caused Callejo to clench his fists, shake his head and reply “ … that is the difference between us. “
Discrepancies in the Affidavit
Camilo also testified that his brother, Jose, had told him during the phone conversation at 1.30 pm that “… it was too late. I have already signed the TRO.” Atty. Aguirre snapped at the opportunity and asked Camilo to verify if Jose had told him that the TRO had not yet been signed. The panel chairman ruled, “ Already answered. “
He was appearing on a subpoena from the panel investigating the improprieties committed by Justices of the Court of Appeals. Apparently, Camilo Sabio had called his brother, Justice Jose Sabio,Jr. , to “help” the Government Services Insurance System ( GSIS ) win its case against Meralco. To the surprise of many, Jose had included this phone call in his affidavit which, in part, read :
2. On May 30, on or about 8 o' clock in the morning, while I was at my chambers, I received a call from my brother, PCGG Chairman Camilo Sabio, informing me that I was the third member of the division to which the Meralco - GSIS case was raffled. This was a surprise to me because I had not yet been officially informed about it. He then said that he heard that a TRO was already prepared. At this point, he then tried to convince me of the rightness of the stand of the GSIS and the SEC. I then told him that I will vote according to my conscience and that the most I can do is to have the issuance of the TRO and the injunctive relief scheduled for oral arguments. I also told him that during said hearing respondents must be able to convince me that the TRO did not have a legal basis.3. Not long thereafter, Justice Vicente Roxas entered my chambers....
Before he testified, Camilo Sabio asked permission to read his prepared statement. The panel chairman, retired Justice Carolina Grino – Aquino looked straight at him and nodded her head. As he narrated his reasons for ignoring the subpoena issued earlier by the panel investigating the improprieties of the Justices of the Court of Appeals, the audience began to fidget. The two other panel members – fellow retired Justices Flerida Romero and Romeo Callejo – listened intently. Soon enough, Callejo looked away at the glass windows.
Camilo Sabio went on about his being a member of the cabinet. A murmur started humming amongst the audience : he will ask for executive priviledge, some of the people whispered to each other. Aquino immediately addressed the issue. “No, I am not invoking executive priviledge,” Camilo Sabio stated, and he said that he preferred to be called “ Secretary Sabio. “
The first signs of the angle that Camilo Sabio would take in his defense came with his preface of “… My basic mandate as a government official is to protect the long-suffering public who are at the mercy of the monopoly of Meralco… “ Some snickers followed from the audience which grew more audibly when he repeated the ‘long-suffering public’ phrase the third time.
Then the monologue continued on how 38 years ago, during the Marcos years, he was arrested, jailed and how he forgave his oppressors. By this time, Callejo’s silver ballpen was tapping the desk faster than he had done at any other time during the hearings. Minutes were ticking away and we were all eager to know the details of Camilo Sabio’s phone call to his brother
From cross examination and further questions, Camilo declared that he believed “… there is nothing wrong with what I did. “ Romero wanted to clarify this stance and asked him if he felt there was anything improper, illegal or unethical about a relative calling up a justice to influence him on how to decide a case? Camilo replied, “ No. Given the same circumstances, I would probably do it again. “ Callejo’s ballpen was nearly hammering the table top with these replies and his hands covered his mouth.
TRO and 1.30 pm
The panel judges needed to have Camilo narrate how he got the information about the TRO being prepared. Camilo said that when he was in Davao airport he got a phone call from Atty Jesus Santos who informed him that the TRO was being drafted and to “Please Help.” Callejo asked if this is the same Atty. Santos who represents Mike Arroyo in the libel cases. Yes, Camilo replied. Camilo continued that he tried to call his brother, Jose, but the airplane was taking off and he could not hear so he waited until he reached Manila to call his brother again. What time was that ? “ About 1.30 pm.” ( very different from the 8 am mentioned in the affidavit listed above )
Knowing that Camilo is a lawyer and after having been read the different canons of the law which specifically stated that he had breached laws, Romero asked him what thoughts were going through his mind during the flight from Davao to Manila; did Camilo have any thoughts about the conflict of calling his brother to influence him? My heart beat even faster with the tension, knowing that Camilo was defiant about his actions. Callejo wanted to know if Camilo thought that ‘…any member of the cabinet can call a justice of the court of appeals to ask him … “ to which Camilo replied, “… these were peculiar circumstances.”
The panel judges were respectful of Camilo although their determined mouths shaped an inverted smile. Callejo then proceeded to ask Camilo if Jose had mentioned that someone had offered a bribe. Again, Camilo replied, “ Yes “ but he could not recall when. Apparently, Camilo’s reaction to bribe offers is to ignore them and not make a fuss because he gets bribe offers regularly. No, he never would consider reporting these bribe offers. Camilo’s attitude caused Callejo to clench his fists, shake his head and reply “ … that is the difference between us. “
Discrepancies in the Affidavit
Camilo also testified that his brother, Jose, had told him during the phone conversation at 1.30 pm that “… it was too late. I have already signed the TRO.” Atty. Aguirre snapped at the opportunity and asked Camilo to verify if Jose had told him that the TRO had not yet been signed. The panel chairman ruled, “ Already answered. “
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