Conrado 'Noynoy-is-Aragorn' de Quiros continues to insist that criminal prosecution is a popularity contest @sagadasun

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True to form, Inquirer.net "columnist" Conrado "Noynoy-is-Aragorn" de Quiros is at it again building an entire emo plea on the back of that feature of politics Aquinoists have exploited to smithereens -- popularity.

Coming from an "article" that goes by the quaintly poetic cliche, "How the mighty have fallen", the following is classic de Quiros...
This country may be forgetful in the long run, but it does have a strong short-term memory. You see that in the wellspring of support P-Noy has gotten for his decision to stop the former First Couple from leaving. The anger and loathing are still there. The people want the former first couple punished. The people want the former first couple jailed.

As I said in an earlier piece, criminal prosecution is not a popularity contest.

The process of criminal prosecution is not one that is driven by a popular outcome. It proceeds on the basis of a rigorous examination of facts and an intelligent tying of these together into a logical conclusion.

Perhaps de Quiros should take on board a bit of the insight his editor is able to apply to his own writing today...
[...] it’s imperative for the Aquino administration to lay off on the triumphalist rhetoric for the moment (“We promised the Filipino people her day in court, and now she’s getting it,” Secretary Ricky Carandang crowed on the day of Arroyo’s arrest, conveniently forgetting how ad hoc, reactive and improvisational the government’s response had been to the Supreme Court’s TRO), and get down instead to the nitty-gritty of constructing more solid, legally unassailable cases against Arroyo. They should be, at the very least, free of shortcuts, infirmities and photo-finish touches, and filed in court expeditiously, to backstop the initial indictment against Arroyo.

As the eminent Dean Jorge Bocobo once observed, I often quote myself quoting myself. But then when one finds one's self surrounded by idiots, there really isn't much choice but to rely on one's own brilliance. Fortunately, the Inquirer.net stepped up to the job today and relieved me of some of my duties -- for now.

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