Aquino and DOJ’s Dillydallying over Arroyo’s Medical Travel Request: A BLATANT CONTEMPT for a Constitutional Right!

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (Photo from globalbalita.com)

On the case of the former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s medical-related travel request to preserve her life, tell me, whose justice did Aquino government and DOJ uphold in delaying that request?

 

Section 6 in the Article III, Bill of Rights, of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states, “The liberty of abode…shall not be impaired…NEITHER SHALL THE RIGHT TO TRAVEL BE IMPAIRED…”

 

Status Quo

Former President, now, Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is (hardly) recuperating from her health condition.  She underwent series of medical operations yet still failed for any possibility to continue her life normal. In other words, she may be suffering of a disease, which prevents her from full healing or recovery.

Arroyo appealed to the Department of Justice to grant her medical-related travel request yet to no avail (so far, as the time of writing).  I feel that DOJ is not doing its role as opposed to what Secretary De Lima is trying to convince us, Filipinos.

Department of Justice shall uphold equality of justice above all else; not for Aquino government, where her loyalty begins or ends; not for those political vindictive few, whose real interests are manipulative and are covered by upholding justice as euphemism; and most of all not for Secretary De Lima, herself, for her to become a shining star at the dawn of the 2013 senatorial election!

Then, what made DOJ hesitant in granting the request for the sake of health of a former president who has no any case yet filed against her in court?  Has justice during this time stripped of her blindfolds letting her see the evidence of the crime straight ahead of time the crime was committed? Or has justice today been fed of political vindication, or maybe DOJ today is just lack of concern?

 

Issues

Whether or not DOJ grants the medical-related travel request of the former president of the Philippine Republic now or in the next years to come, a sitting president shall exercise his vested power to protect the welfare of the people. The Department of Justice, however, shall execute the constitutional right guaranteed by the Article III of the Philippine Constitution with full impartiality.

Whether or not the sitting president influences the decision of the secretary of DOJ, both of them must stand by their decision in accordance with the Constitution, and the former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo may not be at the mercy of both the sitting president’s and the secretary of DOJ’s caprices and whims.

 

Conclusion

Way back in Marcos regime, then Senator Benigno Aquino, Jr., the late father of the incumbent President Benigno Aquino, III, has granted his right to travel by the late Dictator Ferdinand Marcos despite the military court’s conviction for rebellion.

In addition, during President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo administration, former President Joseph Estrada was granted his right to travel even though his plunder case is on trial.

Both of the above instances have common denominator like that of the former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s request – the right to travel for medication except that the latter (Arroyo) has no any case filed yet against her in any court of the country.

Even the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights acknowledge and guarantee the constitutional right to travel. Unless the Aquino government is vindictive and desperate to uplift his government ratings, the former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has been granted her request without the allegedly dillydallying of the secretary of DOJ.

Is this the Aquino administration best example of “Daang Matuwid” that seems to be founded through the bedrock of political vindication?  What can you think of Secretary De Lima’s delaying tactics in granting the former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s request to travel for the sake of her health? Who among us can confirm, verify, or even single out the veracity of Arroyo’s condition in the face of her weak state and ailing condition?

This game has been played a many times again and again throughout the world of politics.  Anybody can judge and be judged, can do politicking and be politicized.  However, who are you to defy the supreme law of the land and twist the injustice to be fair and right by any means just to satisfy the desperate claim of a good standing rating in governance or in leadership?

Way back in my college (activist) days, I am one of those students along Commonwealth Avenue down to Mabuhay Rotunda to Recto and Mendiola expressing their rage at the former President Gloria Arroyo against anti-student policies, education budget, summary killings, and other human rights abuse issues.  Those early times of my student life, I always had this urgency to defend and uphold the democratic, the political, and the constitutional rights of the students and the masses as well.

Now, time is vindictive, manipulative, and cannibalistic.  However, a human nature gives in by any means especially in times of great afflictions that endanger one’s life.  The Philippine Constitution preserves such nature of human being founded through the guidance of the Divine Providence that guarantees the human rights and liberties that there shall be no law passed abridging this sanctity of human life aspect.

 

President Aquino (left) and Secretary De Lima (right) (Photo from pinoysnayper.wordpress.com)

Now tell me, whose justice did Aquino government and DOJ uphold in delaying the request of the former President Arroyo intended to preserve her life?

 

 

About these ads