Trapoliticking at its peak

“Funky crime funky crime
don't you know funk's colors blind
well I've committed a funky crime
against a state of mind”
- from “Funky Crime” by Red Hot Chili Peppers


That law is always rigged to favor the rich and the powerful has been blatantly displayed once again in Philippine politics. Trapoliticking in the country is at its highest peak nowadays. And these trapos (traditional politicians) are really getting to be bolder and bolder these days.

It seems that these unprincipled politicians can just rob us (of our taxes or of justice) in broad daylight and pretend as if there is nothing wrong with their action. They can even look us straight in the eye and say they are doing it “for the good of the country”.

Two recent political events have marked the year 2007 as the Year of the Trapos. One is the instant pardon of Erap Estrada who was found guilty of plunder. Then comes the recent efforts of Gloria Arroyo to once again stop a genuine impeachment against her…at all costs.

Pardon me, Madame Gloria

First, let’s track back a little to Arroyo’s pardon of Erap Estrada. I do not know, but this recent action of Arroyo has sort of sent 1000 volts of electricity up my spine. I felt numbness. Disbelief. Anger. And a hint of hopelessness.

For how could you forgive somebody found guilty of plunder but has not even acknowledged his wrongdoing? How could you forget a crime when the criminal has not even owned up to his offense?

It’s not that I don’t expect Gloria Arroyo to be capable of such hideous trapoliticking. But it’s more of a shock that it is indeed happening. It’s like as time goes by under this administration, the Filipino nation is getting buried deeper and deeper into this pit of unprincipled politics.

In writing this article I am even at a loss as to how to approach the issue. The reason is that in any angle you view it; this current move of the fake president is simply revoltingly repulsive (or repulsively revolting)! It was simply a pardon granted without any single grain of wisdom. Well, apart of course from the motive of self-preservation.

Yes, that is a crystal clear fact – that this pardon of Erap is nothing more than Arroyo’s scheme of ensuring her stay in power. Arroyo is simply trying to appease a section of the ever growing opposition to her administration – a tactic to divide those calling for her immediate removal from office.

When national policies are made to simply satisfy the interests of a politician then we have a problem. When a presidential power is used for the sole purpose of satisfying a whim of a trapo President then we have a big problem.


The spirit of the law, impeached

Now let us go to the issue of the recent efforts of Arroyo to once again stop a genuine impeachment against her.

The removal of a dishonest, abusive and corrupt President is an inherent power of the people from whom all the government powers emanates. This power to remove a President is delegated to Congress through the process of impeachment. This, in essence, is a mechanism to ensure the accountability of the leader of the land to the people through a body which is representative of them.

Now, an impeachment proceeding should be initiated in the Lower House and under the House rules, only one impeachment case can be filed against the same impeachable official within a year. This limitation is supposed to prevent a harassment of impeachment cases against a President who is assumed to be working for the country.

Gloria Arroyo however is using this rule to make a mockery of our constitution and our laws. By simply having one of her cohorts file a weak case against her she manages to give herself another year of getting away with mounting crimes against the nation.

The sadder fact is that a lot of Congress Representatives are in connivance with Malacañang in this scheme. Despite the existence of strong evidence against Arroyo, these shameful people we call “honorable” have several times terminated the impeachment proceedings for mere technicalities taking advantage of the same weak case that one of their accomplices filed.

The spirit of the law is unashamedly disregarded by these trapos to simply make sure that their benefactor remains in power. For them, implementing the spirit of the law is not as important as making sure that the hand that feeds their pocket is safe and sound.

If the Supreme Court doesn’t make a corrective stand on this issue then down the drain our nation go.

(Send your comments and reactions to: for text messages to 0919-348-6337; for e-mails to ianseruelo@gmail.com.)