Hating a person is like burning a house to kill a rat. That is what is happening to the Philippines today with President Aquino determined to impeach Chief Justice Renato Corona. He hates him because of the SC Hacienda Luisita collegial decision that would finally give the Cojuangco-owned land to the poor farmers who till the land. One would think that as the “elected” leader of this democratic country, he would have welcomed such a move.
reprint from philstar.com
FROM A DISTANCE
By Carmen N. Pedrosa (The Philippine Star)
Updated February 11, 2012 12:00 AM
The complete aphorism reads: Hati
ng a person is like burning a house to kill a rat. That is what is happening to the Philippines today with President Aquino determined to impeach Chief Justice Renato Corona. He hates him because of the SC Hacienda Luisita collegial decision that would finally give the Cojuangco-owned land to the poor farmers who till the land. One would think that as the “elected” leader of this democratic country, he would have welcomed such a move.
For the second Cojuangco-Aquino president, as it was with the first, land reform and uplifting the poor is merely lip service and was never meant to be seriously undertaken.
The sin of SC Chief Justice Renato Corona and the other Macapagal Arroyo appointed justices is their decision to end the charade. They unanimously decided in favor of the farmers, which is as it should be. The decision has social and political implications of epic proportions. It is a breakthrough in our long history of the exploitation of farmer-peasants.
Therefore one can expect ruffled feathers, some form of resistance from oligarchs who are used to having decisions and policies in their favor. By holding the reins of government, they decide the fate and fortune of our country.
We did not expect there would be such a shameless display of the arrogance of power by ignoring laws and dangling all sorts of bribes. It seems the oligarchic government would not even be subtle. It has gone hammer and tongs against the decision by using the bogey of “corruption” because it does not want to give up its political and economic advantages so easily to mere farmers.
It is very much a case of burning the Philippine house to make sure that the Hacienda Luisita decision is not implemented or at least not without an exorbitant price tag (the last time I heard) the demand has now gone up from P5 billion to P10 billion to the Cojuangcos.
If this is not corruption, then what is? It is the worst kind because it is a deliberate assault (some of them have already been killed) on helpless poor citizens by their own government. With the aid of media and politicians, gullible Filipinos are being misled that the Aquino government’s fight against Corona is a fight against corruption. It isn’t and if we were to take time to think, we will recognize that the intent yet again is to protect the status quo and privilege of the wealthy few against the many poor.