Sen. Juan Ponce-Enrile, as a citizen of the Philippines and one who contributes to the payment of your salary, I order you to show cause why you were an orchestrator of Ferdinand E. Marcos´ Martial Law.

Show cause why you faked an assassination attempt on your life to INFLUENCE the Filipino people that Martial Law was justified.

Show cause why you masterminded more than one coup attempt against the government of Pres. Cory Aquino, using the thug-for-hire Gregorio Honasan.

Show cause why you are now threatening to cite Harvey Keh in contempt for trying to exercise his right to expose corruption in high places.

But do not worry; you will not be threatened with contempt because you are already contemptible.

As for Senators Miriam Santiago, Bongbong Marcos and Jinggoy Estrada, what gives you the right to berate and insult Harvey Keh, a citizen of the Republic of the Philippines, who also pays your salaries? He is a man seeking to uphold good governance. And even if you think he is not doing a good job at it, I would rather respect a man who is haphazardly upholding good governance than respect those in high places who are perfectly arrogant, simply because they have a title before their names.

To Bongbong Marcos, before brandishing your haughtiness and opening your mouth on the Senate floor, return first the millions your family stole during your father´s hated regime!

It´s the 35th day in the resumption of the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona. Still, we are getting the same strategy from his defense team: object, delay, confuse.

Even the senator-judges are getting impatient. This is good, because they are showing that they can speed up the trial. What many of them want is to see Corona take the stand. This is also the sentiment of a majority of Filipinos.

But the defense will not allow their client to do so on the grounds that he might incriminate himself. What?!!! In saying this are they inadvertently insinuating that Corona is indeed guilty of something? Yet, the more they avoid putting Corona on the stand, the more they are affirming what many Filipinos believe: Corona has something to hide.

So now the defense wants again to call Justice Sec. De Lima to the stand as a hostile witness. What they will probably try to do is again confuse the impeachment trial by asking De Lima irrelevant questions. This they tried to do today by calling witnesses to verify irrelevant documents. Even presiding Senator-Judge Juan Ponce Enrile berated the defense for such tactics.

In a Facebook group I belong, this keen observation was posted: The prosecution had logic but lacked trial techniques. On the other hand the defense has sharp trial techniques but lacks logic.

How true!

Now that impeachment proceedings have begun against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, PNoy’s detractors are now saying that he will place his own Chief Justice should Corona be successfully ousted. They ominously warn that PNoy will be establishing an Aquino court which will be no different than an Arroyo court.

There’s really nothing wrong with PNoy appointing his own justices. That is the prerogative of every sitting President. It makes governing easier. It becomes wrong under the following circumstances:

1. When the appointed justices are “midnight appointees.”
2. When the justices favor a person over the Constitution.
3. If PNoy commits a crime and expects the justices to get him off the hook.
4. When the Chief Justice begins carrying an umbrella over a relative (perhaps a wife?) of the President.

Now, PNoy’s detractors are calling him a despot and hungry for power.

A despot? Has he:

1. Dissolved Congress and the Supreme Court?
2. Closed down media establishments?
3. Imprisoned media personalities and his critics?
4. Had people kidnapped or killed?
5. Cheated massively in the elections?
6. Declared martial law?

I’m not a PNoy fan, but he is the President. Thus, as a Filipino I’ll continue to give him the benefit of the doubt and support his governance as best as I can.

If somehow he turns out to be a criminal or despot or both, then he should taste the same medicine as his government is giving Gloria Arroyo and Renato Corona.

By Electric Ignition (formerly known as Eleutario Ignacio)

Don’t talk to me ’bout Manila
Don’t even mention ’bout Tondo
I live in Californ-i-a
Near the Chicanos of East LA
I’m now a ‘zen of the U S of A

Wanna tear out my black hair
Scrape out my brown skin
Gouge out my black eyes
Give me blonde, white and blue
I’m now a ‘zen of the U S of A

So I dyed my hair a diff’rent hue
And I wear contacts of blue
but damn this skin of brown
I’ll just say I’m tanned from the sun
I’m now a ‘zen of the U S of A

Won’t read of PNoy news
Nor even of corrupt GMA
I only like American strips
of stuff like wiener-showing Wiener
I’m now a ‘zen of the U S of A

Don’t wanna hear ’bout the Sayyaf
Or dead Pinoy marines
I just care ’bout my GIs
blown up in the Middle East
I’m now a ‘zen of the U S of A

I sing Stars and Stripes Forever
just like idol Josh Groban
and mangle Bayang Magiliw
as Martin Nievera does
I’m now a ‘zen of the U S of A

I could go on and on
Don’t care whatever you think
I may be short and brown like you
But I’m totally not like you
I’m now a ‘zen of the U S of A

It’s difficult not to sympathize with Lauro Vizconde. I am a widower myself, although my wife succumbed to cancer. It’s not so much that I miss her, but what could have been had she lived longer. I feel there could have still been much to do and that I have not known her that well yet to lose her so suddenly. So much in my home reminds me of her.

Lauro Vizconde lost more and in the most tragic way. I am quite sure, in his home, he is reminded not only of one loss but three. He continues to live alone, albeit in the company of house help who keep to themselves.

It’s easy to continue to hate Hubert Webb when you see pictures of him flashing a wide grin being surrounded by his family. The Supreme Court may have freed him, but this doesn’t mean he’s innocent. He was freed because the prosecution did a piss-poor job. He will now merrily spend Christmas with his parents and four siblings.

Lauro Vizconde will most likely spend Christmas alone still seeking justice for the murder of his family.

Now, Hubert Webb along with his co-accused are asking payback from the woman whose testimony sent them to jail 15 years ago. They want to send her to jail for giving false testimony. Perhaps it would be better for them to spend their energy and money in helping to find the murderers of the Vizconde family.

Maybe they don’t want to do this. The trail might lead back to them.