Clash Of The Titans

There is so much growing conflicting bureaucracy of the Philippines three branches of the government. The Executive branch vis-à-vis Legislative branch in this case is the Senate. Disputes either resolved or unresolved by the Supreme Court and either in favor or unfavor for the Executive or Legislative branch would turn the two in struggle to control jurisdiction of their mandated powers to assert their viewpoints. An unending climax of setting these two titans against each other by most deplorable seeing that in most cases the loosing side becomes pique and vindictive while the wining side becomes loosely arrogant. An almost near constitutional crisis scenario likely to occur where those three branches of government unwilling to setting a tone for a compromise. In a case like this there is no winner and the republic is most likely to absorb the losing end.

As a classic governance dispute, the Neri petition to the Supreme Court obviously a question that turns the Executive and Legislative branch puts them in a gridlock. It is becoming more frustrating and difficult to comprehend for the people of the Republic the principle of equal bodies and matters of set forth by the constitution of their duly mandated authority. When the Supreme Court in a split decision handed down the decision by vote of 9-6 arguably the correctness is not the center of the subject but rather the finality of a ruling to put an end to the issues. In essence without an arbiter with the likes of the Supreme Court a prolong and unending ensuing charges and countercharges will create a much bigger political crisis.

Why does the Arroyo administration restrict cooperation with the Senate? When the fact that it is the same institution where the President has been with before becoming the head of the Republic. On matters of national security any secretive and or classified information is limited for dissemination but in the case of national interest though might involved external entities should become public information. In an endless debates and arguments when it should become a national security and national interest? Take the case of the cancelled National Broadband Network project which is a subject that is claimed to be a national security by the Executive branch while a national interest for in part as considered by the members of the Senate investigating the issues. Now this comes to a complete bureaucratic syndrome system where each has to engage in larger proportion to be able to get the information. If only if information is shared and or circulated between them even though only to a few these two branches would work collaboratively on the same goal for the good of the country. Going back to the question of the administration of President Arroyo restricting cooperation with Senate by not allowing members of cabinet to attend any legislative inquiries without the consent of the President. For of the many reasons it largely depends on the numbers of the elected members of the Senate who is either an ally or opposed. In the 14th Congress composition there are mostly Senators opposed with the administration of President Arroyo. It is most likely a partisan line and collaboration would be seen less. All the more reasons that the administration of President Arroyo and opposing members of the Senate does not have any trust in place when both have legitimate reasons. Most of those members of the Senate participating in the investigation chaired by Senate Blue Ribbon committee are to get the facts in the aid of legislation. When also these facts would be used against the President if proven that the President has first hand knowledge and/or behind the scenes participation in the anomaly. We may conclude that there will never be a good working atmosphere between the administration of President Arroyo and the present composition of the majority members of the Senate.