Category Archives: Politics & Society

New writer at the Forum; Alex Magno is “Off-line”

Posted on October 31, 2006 by Atty. Fred| 2 Comments

Responding to the open invitation to write at the Forum, Mr. Basilio submitted a timely article on the potential face-off between the Senate and the House of Representatives. Now that the Supreme Court has dismissed the petition of Lambino et.al., it’s expected that the same petitioners through the President’s allies in the Lower House would finally resort next to the other mode in the amendatory process, i.e. proposal by the Congress, upon a vote of three-fourths of all its members. Read more »

Posted in Politics & Society

SC is not a trier of facts – Sigaw ng Bayan

Posted on October 29, 2006 by Atty. Fred| 3 Comments

“The arguments used as basis in the Supreme Court’s decision were questions of facts, issues that should not be tackled by the Supreme Court. The [high] court is not a trier of fact but should only decide on issues of laws and jurisdiction,” [Atty. Raul] Lambino [of Sigaw ng Bayan] told ABS-CBN‘s Magandang Umaga Pilipinas. Read more »

Posted in Legal Procedure, Politics & Society

10 Little Things OFWs, Balikbayans and Pinoy Expats Could Do To Help

Posted on October 27, 2006 by Atty. Fred| 4 Comments

a) Spend your vacation, your dollars, in our Philippines

It is understandable for our OFWs, balikbayans and Pinoy expats to spend vacation in other countries. The world is truly beautiful and majestic. But please do spend some of your vacation, and some of your dollars, in our Philippines. Every dollar that you bring into our country will help build our Philippines. It will help our tourism industry. It will mean more sales and more jobs for our local industries. It will mean an increase in our country’s international dollar reserves. It will help stabilize the Peso. And ultimately, it will help stabilize our economy. Read more »

Posted in Politics & Society

Tagged , , , ,

Petition for People’s Initiative dismissed

Posted on October 26, 2006 by Atty. Fred| 3 Comments

The Supreme Court dismissed the recent petition (Lambino, et al. vs. COMELEC) seeking to revise the Constitution through people’s initiative. In a 52-page decision, the SC ruled in part that the proposal to shift the present bicameral-presidential system to a unicameral-parliamentary system is contrary to the Constitution. Read more »

Posted in Politics & Society

Defending against desecration of Constitution

Posted on October 25, 2006 by Atty. Fred| Leave a comment
“This Court cannot betray its primordial duty to defend and protect the Constitution. The Constitution, which embodies the people’s sovereign will, is the bible of this Court. This Court exists to defend and protect the Constitution. To allow this constitutionally infirm initiative, propelled by deceptively gathered signatures, to alter basic principles in the Constitution is to allow a desecration of the Constitution. To allow such alteration and desecration is to lose this Court’s raison d’etre.”
- Justice Carpio, ponente
Lambino vs. COMELEC (G.R. No. 174153),
dismissing the petition for people’s initiative
filed by Raul Lambino, et al.

Posted in Politics & Society

A Gentleman-Officer’s Dilemma

Posted on October 22, 2006 by Atty. Fred| 3 Comments

There is always a point in our career when one experiences a vacuum and finds himself not happy anymore. It is at this point when one has to make a choice of coexisting in pain or leave in order to find meaning in one’s life to live by your principles.

- Col. Ariel Querubin,

on his decision to leave

the Philippine Marines

Posted in Politics & Society

The Guru of Destabilization

Posted on October 21, 2006 by Atty. Fred| Leave a comment

It seems to me he (Bernas) is the guru of destabilization. Everything he says is always against the President. The problem with Bernas is that he thinks he’s the only one who knows the law. . . the Constitution.”

- DOJ Sec. Raul Gonzales,
lashing out against the highly-respected
Constitutionalist, Fr. Joaquin Bernas
(Inquirer, 26March2006)

Posted in Politics & Society

Santiago vs. Comelec – will the Supreme Court overturn its decision?

Posted on October 17, 2006 by Atty. Fred| 1 Comment

(Original post: 31 March 2006; update – Lambino petition for people’s initiative dismissed) In Santiago vs. COMELEC, the Supreme Court ruled that Republic Act No. 6735, also known as the “People’s Initiative and Referendum Act”, is “incomplete, inadequate, or wanting in essential terms and conditions insofar as initiative on amendments to the Constitution is concerned.” This decision was affirmed in the subsequent case of PIRMA vs. Comelec. Read more »

Posted in Politics & Society

12 Little Things Every Filipino Can Do to Help Our Country

Posted on October 16, 2006 by Atty. Fred| 46 Comments

Early last year, I got a copy of the little book through Alex’s wife, Pia. I haven’t met Alex, although I heard good things about him as a brod. This means that Mr. Soliven’s description of Alex would be much better than mine. However, I can say that Mr. Soliven’s description about Pia, who’s with a former client and my teacher at UPLaw, is true. (Original post: 23Jan06) Read more »

Posted in Politics & Society

Tagged ,

Citizen Retention and Re-Acquisition Act of 2003

Posted on October 14, 2006 by Atty. Fred| 1 Comment

I wrote somewhere that I’ll discuss the “Citizen Retention and Re-Acquisition Act of 2003″ (Republic Act No. 9225, which should not be confused with R.A. 9255). R.A. 9225 amends Commonwealth Act No. 63, which provides that a Filipino citizen may lose his Philippine citizenship in certain cases. Read more »

Posted in Politics & Society