Like the mouse that roared, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte dared both Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales and himself to resign together. It was a signature Duterte knee-jerk reaction to those whose positions are diametrically opposed to his policy. Duterte even said he would not submit to the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman in any investigation being conducted against him. Instead, he said, he would form a presidential commission to investigate the Ombudsman who, together with Sereno, have allowed themselves to be used by political forces who want to oust him from power.
Both CJ Sereno and Ombudsman Morales said they would not resign because they have not committed any wrong doing for them to vacate their posts.
What if the two heads of these two constitutional bodies had accepted the President’s challenge? That would leave Duterte red-faced. This is brinkmanship on the part of the President. Would a constitutional crisis or power vacuum result with all three resigning their posts?
The Constitution provides for an orderly succession mechanism in case of such unprecedented event. The Vice President, in this case Maria Leonor Robredo, takes over the helm of government and she can then appoint the replacements of Sereno and Morales. The presidential successor can then form a new government as those appointed Cabinet officials will have to resign. Heads of government corporations and political ambassadors will have to do the same as they are co-terminus with the appointing power.
This is a golden opportunity for Robredo to form a government not based on political affiliation. We do not want to see the Aquino-led Liberal Party’s return to power. Robredo should appoint people to government position regardless of political ties or label. It’s also a chance to amend the charter through a constitutional convention with elected delegates and not a constituent assembly that power-hungry Congress wants.
For sure, the country will experience a sea change with a sweeping government reorganization. What is there to fear when there are many who believe they are already in the abyss of a disparate society?
What sectors of society? These are the millions of unemployed, underemployed, victims of crime and official corruption.
We were not the one who broached the idea but the President himself. He has painted himself into a corner if Sereno and Morales decided to do a great service to the nation and take him up on his challenge for all three of them to resign. Will Digong keep his word?
The President claimed Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has bank accounts abroad but when a Singapore bank officially denied such an account existed, Digong sheepishly admitted in his own words he only “invented” the bank account number!
In his war of words with Trillanes, the President in a bantering mood said “I’m in the early stage of insanity but he is already in stage three.”
Speculation is rife President Duterte is seeking medical attention in China whenever he disappears from the public view for a day or two.
Is President Duterte really sick and doesn’t want the people to know? We are not going to add to speculation about his health and well-being. If at all, the man ‘s affliction is a simple case of foot in mouth disease–of saying outrageous things without thinking of the consequences of his words.
The President, some people fear, is under pressure from the awesome burden of the presidency. The possibility of reactionary forces is there if he does not change his confrontational and divisive style . He went ballistic when the Integrated Bar of the Philippines president said he should not be onion-skinned.
So far, Digong has been unleashing vitriolic words against Chief Justice Sereno, Ombudsman Carpio Morales, Chito Gascon of the Commission on Human Rights, the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, the United Nations, the US and the European Union on the issue of extrajudicial killings in his brutal war on drugs.
The President’s problem is that he does not listen to advice and the people close to him are afraid to give him any lest they incur his wrath. Is close-in confidante and long-time friend Bong Go the only one who can? Bong Go, however, is silent as the Sphinx and mum as a mummy–which is probably why he has been with Digong since their Davao days.
The people, for sure, would like to see a head of state who’s more conciliatory and less aggressive against those who differ with his policy and style of governance.