E. O. 464 and Mayuga
Now that E. O. 464 has been rendered inutile, at least the parts crucial to the Arroyo government, Senator Biazon can call all the witnesses to the Senate that Admiral Mayuga claimed to have but never interviewed and to re-start the investigation on the role of the generals in the last election.
Since there is a possibility that Admiral Mayuga and the Palace will invoke Executive Privilege as basis not to appear before the Senate, Senator Biazon can always go the roundabout way and summon all those Marines who texted him and to testify to their perfidious use by the administration to rig the last elections. What the Senate cannot do directly, let them do indirectly.
Which brings us to who the next Chief of Staff will be.
General Esperon has not been confirmed yet. There are talks that Admiral Mayuga may be a possible contender for the Chief of Staff after Gen. Senga retires but given the Byzantine manner by which the Mayuga Report (or Trash) was massaged and released to the public during Holy Week while everyone was out, except Ces Drilon and the ANC guys, Admiral Mayuga’s willing participation in the conspiracy to muddle the findings should put a dent to his ambition to become Chief of Staff.
The Commission on Appointments, at the very least, can stifle and delay his rise but it would do well for the politicians in the Commission not to appoint someone like Admiral Mayuga who has seemingly become a poster boy for cover-ups and obfuscation. If this administration wants another rankling from the military, appointing Mayuga to Chief of Staff would be the equivalent of the gift that keeps on giving.
The only one thus far who has not have a whiff of scandal would be the Air Force General Reyes.
My hunch is: while General Esperon has yet to be cleared of all wrongdoing, General Reyes will sanitize the position. And that makes the revolving door policy of chiefs of staff all the more a political reality in this administration. Damn the reforms!
Since there is a possibility that Admiral Mayuga and the Palace will invoke Executive Privilege as basis not to appear before the Senate, Senator Biazon can always go the roundabout way and summon all those Marines who texted him and to testify to their perfidious use by the administration to rig the last elections. What the Senate cannot do directly, let them do indirectly.
Which brings us to who the next Chief of Staff will be.
General Esperon has not been confirmed yet. There are talks that Admiral Mayuga may be a possible contender for the Chief of Staff after Gen. Senga retires but given the Byzantine manner by which the Mayuga Report (or Trash) was massaged and released to the public during Holy Week while everyone was out, except Ces Drilon and the ANC guys, Admiral Mayuga’s willing participation in the conspiracy to muddle the findings should put a dent to his ambition to become Chief of Staff.
The Commission on Appointments, at the very least, can stifle and delay his rise but it would do well for the politicians in the Commission not to appoint someone like Admiral Mayuga who has seemingly become a poster boy for cover-ups and obfuscation. If this administration wants another rankling from the military, appointing Mayuga to Chief of Staff would be the equivalent of the gift that keeps on giving.
The only one thus far who has not have a whiff of scandal would be the Air Force General Reyes.
My hunch is: while General Esperon has yet to be cleared of all wrongdoing, General Reyes will sanitize the position. And that makes the revolving door policy of chiefs of staff all the more a political reality in this administration. Damn the reforms!
posted by Edwin Lacierda | 10:51 AM
4 Comments:
Arbet,
Under the decision, only the president of the Executive Dept. has the exclusive right not to appear before legislative investigations.
The military and the rest cannot invoke the chain of command to justify its non-refusal. The Senate, may however accommodate them and hear them in executive session, as you rightly put it.
But unlike before, the military can no longer wave the skirt of the president not to appear.
re gen reyes as chief of staff:
there is that pending case against him filed by col daquil, but this case is relatively minor compared to what gen esperon & adm mayuga are facing...
Ed,
Do you think that the Senate can now bring back Norberto Gonzales and investigate the North Rail Contract and the Venable Contract?
As I recall that was what caused the Palace to issue Eo 464 in the first place.
but my reading of Senate versus Ermita tells me that by upholding Section 2a, the answer is NO?
Question Ed,
How can "no infirmity be imputed" to Section 2(a) when it refers to both Section 1 and 2(b) for both subject and object.
And what does it do to "whistleblowers" in the executive branch. Suppose there is a corrupt Dept. Head and a patriotic low level official who works for him or her? Must such a patriotic official first get the consent of the President before exercising Section 22's "upon their own initiative" clause, and go to Congress directly to divulge information directly to Congress?
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