[blockquote author=”The GUIDON News Staff” pull=”center”]“Do you agree that President Aquino’s involvement with the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) and Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) warrant him an impeachment trial? Why or why not?”[/blockquote]
“It is normal for governmental reforms to face resistance or criticism, but I believe that the [DAP] and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, although controversial, are both progressive reform initiatives of the administration for budget management and foreign affairs, respectively. However, from what we have learned from the DAP issue, adherence to the rule of law and to governmental processes are just as significant and consequential as the actual intent of any program or policy. Although talks of impeachment may cause political instability and affect citizen trust, the Congress’ act of filing complaints may possibly be seen as an exercise of checks and balance, granted, of course, that this was done for the sake of critical assessment of accountability and not for ulterior political motives. However, until it can be proven through thorough investigation that the president has actually committed a grave abuse of power or has violated stipulations from the Constitution, then I believe that we should withhold judgment, yet still remain vigilant, on whether or not Aquino truly warrants impeachment.”
Pauline Carillo, President, The Ateneo Assembly
“Any act deemed unconstitutional merits a coherent and definitive response. Proposals to impeach President Aquino over the DAP controversy are emblematic of such a response in view of his purported violation of the Philippine Constitution. I, nonetheless, have reservations about the political intentions or motivations surrounding these proposals. They reek of partisan politics as usual, more personality-driven than issue-motivated—which is essentially what the absence of legitimate and issue-based political parties has generated. What we need to focus on, therefore, is ensuring that the public understands the issue motivating certain sectors of Philippine society to call for an impeachment; opening channels for Filipinos of all walks of life to appreciate what the issue is all about. The impeachment process, in other words, shouldn’t be reduced to a weapon that members of the opposition or disgruntled former supporters of the status quo could wield with gusto. Only a few Filipinos understand what the issue is all about; make the information more accessible to the general public. Be more transparent in how the government works.”
Enrique Leviste, Lecturer, Sociology and Anthropology Department
“During the course of an administration, it is but natural for certain measures of the executive to be declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. This is how our republican system works—one branch cannot overreach. The executive clearly toed the line between the executive and the legislature when it initiated DAP. The program per se, however, is not a valid ground for impeachment. Unconstitutionality does not automatically equate to a culpable constitutional violation. The only time DAP can be used to justify the president’s impeachment is when it is proven that the president intended to undermine the constitution for his own benefit. Until then, DAP cannot amount to a culpable violation of the constitution.”
Christian Dy (2 AB Eco-H)
“Personally, I don’t believe that [President Aquino’s] involvement with the DAP warrants him an impeachment trial. While it is true that sufficient evidence has been filed for an impeachment trial, and that his affiliation with DAP is controversial and unconstitutional, I, for one, believe that President Aquino’s impeachment case won’t be one to bear any fruit. So far, the president has been one of the top underdogs for rooting out corruption, and I appreciate that. He has done a good job during his term, but while some may find it insufficient, I find it plenty enough. An impeachment case won’t make any difference in the long run. The president is nearing the end of his term. We should just let him retire peacefully and focus on more serious matters.”
Miguel Fernando (1 BS HSc)
“Personally, I feel that his involvement with the DAP is unconstitutional. He operated using his own executive powers. Personally, even though [the DAP was possibly created] out of good will, there are still procedures that he [had] to follow–for example, perhaps consultations with the Supreme Court. Because now, what’s happening is that there are certain moves towards impeachment because of what he did. Which, of course, roots from the unconstitutionality of the DAP. So yes, I do think that it warrants him an impeachment trial. I do feel that it would have been better if he was able to consult first with the Supreme Court within the extent of his executive powers.”
Aika Rey (4 AB MA POS)
“The question people should continue asking is not whether or not what he does is ‘unconstitutional,’ but rather, if his collective actions are geared towards the best interest, presumably, of the nation. People have to understand that our constitution is, in itself, organic—every now and then, an issue arises that either our laws were simply not meant to cater to, or were simply not preempted during their drafting—and so it comes to the point where we have to realize that, at the very least, this constitutional ‘loophole’ arose during the reign of a president with ‘good intentions’ rather than a president who will be more than pleased to use the discretionary nature of these funds for his or her own benefit. At least now, we can create a series of checks and balances that would prevent any future leader from gaining access to [an] easily accessible pool of resources without accountability. On the issue of the [EDCA]: Overlooking the paranoia of the general masses that the Americans are simply here to make the Philippines their new brothel in [South East Asia], we do gain a better foothold in terms of available defenses if—and if—China ever decides to escalate the issue on territorial dispute. So, do these issues suffice for impeachment? The president’s opposition is free to dream.”
Saje Miguel Molato (2 AB POS)
“When we entrusted the president the mandate of the nation, we understood him to lead us with integrity and to uphold the public trust. The question is, with DAP and the EDCA, did he violate such? Was he corrupt? Did he sell out the nation? A president will make mistakes and blunders in governance. At times, we may not agree with his policies, but doesn’t mean that they are impeachable offenses. So my answer is no.”
Mikee Defensor, Secretary-treasurer, Sanggunian School of Social Sciences
“In my opinion, the more pertinent issue with the DAP right now is not so much centered on the Supreme Court’s ruling of its unconstitutionality anymore; in fact, it would
“Impeachment as a political process is, more often than not, a way of altering the configurations of power and social forces. It is a tool utilized by political elites who are not part of the dominant bloc to wrestle for influence. Aquino’s DAP is illegal, and according to the Supreme Court, partly unconstitutional. Rather than the impeachment process, a better corrective against the DAP or the EDCA is vigilance among policy actors and watchers to ensure that the implementation of these programs and agreements do not run contrary to the laws or the constitution. Impeachment is not the most viable way to correct this malpractice as it targets the person in office rather than the acts that could still be reversed while sustaining the person’s stay in office.”
Rene Raymond Rañeses, Instructor, Political Science Department
“No, I do not agree that PNoy’s DAP involvement warrants impeachment. Yes, the DAP issue was [a] mess, but I do not think PNoy intended it to be a mess. I also think that the impeachment complaints against PNoy are, more than anything, knee-jerk reactions. We should let PNoy finish the remaining two years of his term.”
Jackie Jacinto, Instructor, Philosophy Department
