Supreme Cohort Justices in a Democrazy Country

Today, I will describe the present system of governance in the country as “democrazy”. It is because separation of power between the legislative and the executive departments no longer exist. Many legislators (from the Municipal LGU up to the House of Representatives and Senate – this is my personal view point as I observed while working in the government) are under the control of the executive department. And what is more disheartening to note is that the judiciary, especially the Supreme Court, is no longer spared from the control. The supposedly highest tribunal of the land is no longer performing its primary function to do checks and balances. The concrete example was its ruling on the executive privilege invoke by the former NEDA Secretary, Mr. Romulo Neri in order not to talk certain issues or answer certain questions before the Senate inquiry regarding the controversial NBN-ZTE deal. The Supreme Cohort Justices (majority were appointed by GMA) ruled in favor of Mr. Neri. What will be its implications? Simple. The right of the people to know the truth about the controversy behind the NBN-ZTE deal, whether it is anomalous or not, is denied. And the Senate, as a quasi-judicial body, will be become insignificant should their primary witnesses (secretaries, undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, local chief executives and other high ranking officials) in undertaking whatever investigations will appeal to the supreme court to invoke executive privilege and the later ruled to their favor. Mabuang ko bayot!