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This has been a long day. I am tired and sleepy and would love to sleep and call it a night. Only that, this recent development (if you can even call it that) in the much ballyhooed NBN-ZTE Deal has a way of keeping me awake. Apparently, it works far better than coffee in giving me that caffeine boost enough to get me through the wee hours of the morning — though I hope this post doesn’t take that long to write.

First off, aside from the total trashing of the BJE MOA and the dissolution of the GRP Peace Panel (the latter being a good decision, even for a somewhat pro-BJE MOA like me), hearing such dismal news relating to the NBN-ZTE early in the day is like “rubbing salt to a wound” as mentioned previously in FilipinoVoices.com (albeit of a different topic). For a commoner as myself, let me say this: “Wow. what else could go wrong?“.

I might not have written about this anomalous NBN-ZTE Deal previously but that doesn’t mean I wasn’t aware of what’s going on. That controversy, mind you, has been my favorite “telenovela” so to speak. My pupils dilate and I’m always all-ears when updates related to this is broadcasted on TV. And well, yes, just like your usual “telenovela”, there’s a major and minor protagonist, major and minor antagonists and some small players plus some people with “cameo” appearances. And boy, do we have a star-studded cast, eh?

Don’t you love Senate hearings? I do. There’s a lot of drama, suspense, thriller, mystery, even comedy going on — a smorgasbord of cinematography, Hollywood-style. Sometimes, so well-orchestrated like a James Bond ploy to get confidential info, and sometimes so real-life and downright dirty in the details. Ah, Philippine politics — nothing like it in the world, really. Well, yeah, the Taiwanese politicians sometimes try to beat the crap out of their peers when they go into intense debates (so emotional these people) and people in the West have the weirdest of political discussions, but nothing — nothing comes close to good old traditional dirty Philippine politics, complete with fireworks! :)

This I immediately found funny and started giggling just by reading the headline: “Neri: I Have Always Trusted Wisdom of SC“. Hahaha. No comment. Hahaha. Do you really want me to comment on that? or shall I leave that to your wild imagination, dear reader? :) Okay, I’ll just give you a one-liner. “Sure, bro, and who doesnt?“. :)

The news is here. In a vote of 9-6 in favor of Romulo Neri, the Senate can no longer force Neri to answer the three magic questions involving Neri’s conversations with PGMA:

 1. whether the President followed up the NBN-ZTE project with Neri;

2. whether Neri was dictated by the President to prioritize the NBN-ZTE project; and

3. whether he was told by the President to go ahead with the project after being told of the alleged bribe offer

So what of the elusive and absolute truth now? Gone. Forever maybe. Or for a very very long time. It is said that one can invoke that so-called “executive privilege” if your statement/answers to questions will “subvert crucial military or diplomatic objectives”. While conversations with PGMA regarding the NBN-ZTE deal might fall under the category “diplomatic objectives”, will these “answers” subvert (diplomatic objectives)? Oh, yeah, China. :) What was I thinking? Or better yet, what was Neri thinking when he invoked ”executive privilege”? Because apparently this ”executive privilege”, being a privilege means that you decide whether to use it or not. Senator Cayetano was right on target when he said “the burden of proving there was a need to invoke executive privilege should fall on Neri.” And true enough, it all goes back to him and his exercise of self-discretion or prerogative, if you may. 

And when Neri goes on to say “As I have said before, their decision upholds the rule of law and respect for human rights“, I shudder with disgust and disappointment as to the abuse of the term “respect for human rights“. Wow. What human right? The right to remain silent by way of ”executive privilege” invocation? — a privilege only a few enjoy? And for what? For self-protection? I want to believe that EO 464 was created in the interest of the Filipino public in general and in good faith and with righteous and the best intentions at heart for all of us. But the way this EO 464 has been rather abused then and even now (although already revoked) and used as scapegoat by politicians and the way it has hindered our quest for the unadulterated absolute truth, I earnestly wish that it be the first EO to go as soon as the next President is sworn in. Abolish that “executive privilege” altogether since a revoked EO 464 is not enough to kill it.

The SC ruling is final. And who am I or any of us for that matter to question the authority and judgement of the Supreme Court — the Final Arbiter of the Land? But to my mind and to the mind of the common Juans and Juanas of this country, I dare ask: Why hide the truth? Why decide on witholding the truth in the invoked context of protecting public interest? Isn’t public office public trust? Isn’t the truth about the NBN-ZTE Broadband Deal/Controversy/Anomaly in the interest of the public as well? 

The truth is out there. Will we ever find it? Perhaps now, I can honestly and convincingly say: only God knows. Maybe, as in that famous movie line, “we can’t handle the truth” just yet. In time, when we can finally stand face to face with it, we will get that truth. I just hope that when we do find it, it isn’t too late.

Suggested Further Reading:

• “Don’t You Know Me?”: The Question To Fear Or The Question To Loathe?
• Of Joc-Joc Bolante, Tango and Choices
• There’s No Easy Way: Peace and Its Price
• Arroyo is resigning from Lakas-Kampi
• The Prodigal Son is Not Welcome