Waiting for a President

As of writing, the House of Representatives have 188 signatures attached to an impeachment complaint against SC Chief Justice Corona, enough to send it straight to the Senate for trial. Without a doubt, the performance of this court has been dubious – from flip-flops on decisions that were supposedly ruled with finality, to the coddling of a justice guilty of plagiarism. It has been a source of uncertainty and shame rather than the independent and unshakable body, the final arbiter of law, which it ought to be. Moreover, I also think that it is the executive department’s right, its duty in fact, to vigorously push forward on its mandate to bring closure to the anomalies of the past administration.

A clash between the executive and judiciary branches of government is by no means unheard of. Franklin D. Roosevelt unsuccessfully tried to stack the US Supreme Court with his appointees after it struck down many of his administration’s New Deal initiatives. Although both chose similar solutions, what FDR faced and what our President has to overcome are worlds apart. The New Deal programs were designed to create sweeping reforms in the economic and financial systems of the US. What our President is trying to secure is a conviction, not a reform agenda.

In fact, his administration’s actions over the past few days have called into question if our President has the strategic mind, commitment, and capacity to play the long game and carryout what his campaign promised to do.

The 15-member Supreme Court currently has three Aquino appointees. With a conviction for Chief Justice Corona and with another case versus Justice Mariano del Castillo for the plagiarism scandal he’s entangled in the works, that could bring the number up to five – far short needed for a favorable decision. Perhaps the President hopes that the threat of impeachment proceedings and a new Chief Justice will be enough to sway votes his way. That maybe good enough for the cases facing us now, but in 20 years, when the names Arroyo, Corona, and even Aquino have disappeared from the headlines, would we really like to have set a precedent and have a Supreme Court that is susceptible to outside pressure?

It’s also difficult to see how having the Chief Justice out of the way and Gloria behind bars will radically change the trajectory of our country. In fact, haven’t we seen this drama play out already before? An impeachment trial, a former president under hospital arrest – it breaks my heart that we’re still fighting the same battles. And regardless of how this show plays out this time, the fact will remain that politicians will still be politicians. Congressmen will still funnel pet projects to their favorite contractors, mayors will still ask for kickbacks in exchange for permits, and councilors will, well who the hell knows what they do?

This is not to say that the President shouldn’t do what he’s currently set out on doing. The nation was wronged, our laws were broken, and our institutions left in shambles. But the problem didn’t start with Gloria, and the ultimate solution won’t be found in her conviction. Now imagine if our President uses the same energy he has shown with this matter into putting the full support of his office behind empowering the Ombudsman. Or if his administration, making use of the tools of the information age, develops a system of reporting and whistle blowing, and he leverages his enormous popularity into promoting public participation. That would be a sight to behold. That would be the President I’ve been waiting for.