Towards the next dictatorship: PNoy on the road to becoming as powerful a president as Ferdinand Marcos was

Ironies of ironies. PhilStar columnist Valeria Avila observes Philippine President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III is on his way towards becoming "the most powerful President" of the country -- as powerful as the late former President Ferdinand Marcos who at the height of his power had full control over the Supreme Court and the Legislature.

For the sake of discussion, when they successfully remove the Chief Justice (mind you, impeachment is not a criminal trial, rather it is a political exercise) who then would appoint the next Chief Justice of the Supreme Court? Yup! You answered correctly, it is Pres. PNoy who will now appoint the new Chief Justice and consequently, that man or woman would now be biased for President Aquino. With this, the dismantling of democracy has begun!

When that situation takes place, you can be sure that when the case vs. former Pres. Arroyo would reach the Supreme Court, she would literally hang… after all, these Justices would no longer be an independent collegial body, but “tutas” of the President who would now be the most powerful President of this country just like the times of Martial Law. When all this takes place, you can already second-guess what would happen to the Hacienda Luisita case … they would ask for a motion for recon and it would be granted in a jiffy! We are headed in very dangerous waters here.

Meanwhile, Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco resigned from the Liberal Party citing dismay over what he describes as not just a railroading but a "runway"-like expediting of the filing of an impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

He said what compelled him to resign is the fact that the House leadership told the members that the complaint is "non-debatable."

"Ang pinakamasakit dun eh nung sabihin nila that this is non-debatable. Bawal ang magtanong," he said.

He pointed out that the spin doctors of the Palace are making it appear that it is between Mrs. Arroyo and President Aquino.

"Pinapalabas nila dito ay si Chief Justice Corona ay bata ni GMA kaya kapag 'di bumoto sa impeachment ay bata ka ni GMA," Tiangco said.

He also said that the Chief Justice should fight the complaint to maintain the independence and integrity of the Supreme Court.

Facing the public for the first time since the impeachment complaint was lodged in the House of Representatives, Corona affirmed that he will remain as Chief Justice and fight the complaint.

[Corona] called Aquino’s campaign a “baluktot na daang matuwid.” (crooked righteous path)

With his black-clad supporters chanting “CJ! CJ! CJ!” Corona expressed his indignation against the administration that, he said, seeks to imply “malice” and “fallacies” against the whole of the Supreme Court.

In the usual approach used by the Aquino camp since the presidential campaign, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda in response to Corona's speech challenged the emerging perception that the Aquino administration was on its way to turning into a dictatorship harked back to the days when the Aquino family were "victims" of a dictatorship...

"The whole speech a while ago was designed to identify President Aquino with a dictatorship, and I think he has no right to identify or accuse Aquino of a dictatorship. The Aquino family is a victim of dictatorship in the 70s and 80s," he told Malacañang reporters.

Look who's laughing all the way to the bank...