SC TRO draws mixed reactions from senators

The Supreme Court decision on Tuesday to stop the implementation of the watch list orders against former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband, Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo, draw mixed reactions from several senators. Five senators — Vicente Sotto III, Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Francis Escudero and Joker Arroyo — agreed with the SC decision because it upheld the 1987 Constitution. "The decision in favor of the right to travel is an affirmation of the Rule of Law for all, without fear or favor. I salute the Supreme Court," Sotto said in a statement. "The TRO just confirmed that the justice system of the Philippines works," said Revilla in a separate statement. Revilla is president of Lakas-Kampi-CMD while Mrs. Arroyo is the party's chairman emeritus. In an interview with reporters, Santiago lauded the high tribunal for upholding the Constitution which ensures a person's fundamental right to travel. "The right to travel means... if there is any doubt about whether the citizen can travel or not, the doubt will be resolved in favor of the citizen. The Supreme Court did a good job, that was an exhibition of judicial sagacity and sobriety," she said. Escudero, for his part, said that even if he believes Mrs. Arroyo should "answer for a lot of things," she should be made to do so under "proper constitutional processes." "An illegal and unconstitutional circular issued during PGMA’s time remains the same even if used against PGMA herself now. If her administration resorted to tactics like this then, something should set the present administration apart from its predecessor by going through and recognizing due and legal processes," he said. Sen. Arroyo also welcomed the decision, saying the SC finally put a stop to the Aquino administration's tendency for "creeping authoritarianism." "The SC has put a stop, put a brake on the totalitarian tendencies of this governmentt. we already have a creeping martial law here that we don’t only notice," Joker said in an interview. Flee the country? Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada and Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, however, said they were worried that Mrs. Arroyo might really use this opportunity to flee the country. "Nakakalungkot baka hindi na siya bumalik. Doon lang ako kinakabahan. Ok naman mag-seek ng medical treatment, magpagamot abroad dahil karapatan naman ng bawat mamamayan yun. Kaya lang, yung trust issue, yun ang bumabagabag sa aking isipan," Estrada told reporters. "Aanhin pa ang damo kung patay na ang kabayo? Aanhin pa ang hustisya laban dun sa alleged criminal, plunderer kung nakatakas na at nasa ibang bansa na. Dapat ibalanse ng SC ang karapatan ng isang indibidwal o ang civil rights ng isang indibidwal sa karapatan ng isang bansa o the nation in general to go after plunderers or alleged plunderers and seek justice," added Cayetano in a separate interview. De Lima's fault? But in Senator Panfilo Lacson's opinion, it was the fault of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima that the SC struck down the watch list order. "Dapat pag-aralang mabuti kung may mga issues na ganyan lalo pa nga't legal. Lalo pa nga't Constitution ang pinag-uusapan... dapat talaga pag-aralan niyang mabuti bago siya magsagawa ng aksyon," Lacson told reporters. He explained that it can be said that the Department of Justice (DOJ) "mishandled" the matter because it did not implement the watch list order properly. "Meron talagang mishandling sa pag-implement ng watch list order," he said. Senator Franklin Drilon, Escudero, and Estrada, meanwhile, said that the government should just file the appropriate charges against the Arroyos. "They should file cases now... they should file a criminal case that is supported by evidence before the proper courts para maka release na ng hold departure order," Drilon told reporters. "This is the proper legal action which does not circumvent constitutional and basic rights," added Escudero. But Lacson said that the DOJ was "dilly-dallying" in the handling of the cases against the Arroyos. "Napakabagal nga kasi kailan pa ba nila hinandle yung plunder cases tsaka it's been what, 16 months since July 1st of 2010... marami nang dapat nagawa... siguro bawasan yung mga side issues at magfocus dun sa trabaho," he said. Cayetano, for his part, challenged the Arroyos to wait before going abroad. "Wag muna silang umalis at hintayin nila ang final decision at wag munang gamitin ang TRO. If they want to clear their name ... (if) they didnt cheat, steal, and lie, wag silang umeskapo muna," he said. The DOJ had placed the Arroyo couple on the Immigration watch list in connection with the complaints filed against them. Mrs. Arroyo is facing plunder and electoral sabotage complaints while Mr. Arroyo is facing electoral sabotage complaints in connection with alleged anomalies during the 2007 polls. — RSJ, GMA News