The
playing of the video footage with Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim withdrawing his support
from President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo had elicited various reactions.
Former
Ambassador Roy Señeres acknowledged that he encouraged Brig. Gen. Lim to
withdraw support from Pres. Arroyo in February.
Señeres
said that what they did was patriotic, not illegal.
There
is nothing illegal, nothing immoral in what they did. You can't do anything wrong
if you're fighting evil, Señeres said.
Sen.
Rodolfo Biazon said that the act of Brig. Gen. Lim did not constitute a crime.
He likened the act of Brig. Gen. Lim to the act of Gen. Angelo Reyes in withdrawing
support from President Joseph Estrada during the EDSA II.
But
Presidential Chief of Staff Michael Defensor said that Señeres could be
arrested for inciting to sedition. He said that a warrant of arrest against Señeres
is forthcoming.
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Whether
or not the act of Brig. Gen. Lim constituted the crime of coup d'etat is to be
evaluated by the authorities like the National Bureau of Investigation. The law
against coup d'etat was enacted during the administration of former Pres. Cory
Aquino who was rocked by several coup attempts.
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This
writer received a letter from Julieto Bagabaldo who is now working in Guandong,
People's Republic of China. His letter sent through the e-mail runs as follows:
Youth
is the hope of our motherland but with the present estimated statistic's by no
less than the dangerous drug board that around 30% of Metro Manila/Urban centers
high school and college students are drug users and more than 10% of the youth
nationwide then I can attest to that as I visited my hometown last summer and
discovered that even to the remote barangay the presence of drugs is now noticeable,
why the present administration doesn't wage a war against drug lords and gambling
lords then funded billions of pesos from the people's money to stop this problem
rather than any other agenda which does not address the needs of the youth. This
is not a surprise to me due to the nationwide TV program Dong Puno live two weeks
past a statement by no less than Atty. Raul Lambino, the prime mover of Cha-cha
that the President is selected by the power broker from landlords five decades
back and big corporation in the 90's but in the millennium it shifted to the gambling
lords and drug lords due to the billions of cash surplus that they have and for
sure they want to invest it to candidates with a win ability to protect their
operations in the place. Then by changing to unlimited term then no need for them
to invest another billions for the election held every three year or so to ensure
that they can operate safely in the place instead they just maintain or place
a number of people in the Parliament and their operations is safely protected.
And now late President Carlos P. Garcia's dream and nationalist idealism of which
everybody can attest to that for his first Filipino policy and giving limits to
the term of office to any elected leaders of our land is now already inserted
to the 1987 Constitution. Why we change despite that this constitution is too
young but I'm open for change as long as for the better Philippines not for worse
and it should done not how where so many issues are to be resolved like the issue
of Atty. Lambino but if we can not hold these we just internalize the hit song
of Rivermaya when everything is insincere and the lights disappear so close your
eyes and dry your tears as "ARE WE SAFE HERE" so I can not question
why so many Filipinos want to change their passport and they can hardly tell in
the international community that they are from Philippines and Filipino in faith
and in blood for the true patriotism and nationalism of which CPG is dreaming
to the Filipino people is now gone.
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For
comments and reactions, send mail to Atty. Jorge D. Cabalit, Cabalit Law Office,
74 Belderol Street, Tagbilaran City or send e-mail to: viewpoints@boholchronicle.com | 
