How devastating.

Because i cannot, for the love of God and country, come to terms with the how and the why of the Supreme Court's recently promulgated decision.

The voting was 9 to 6. 8 of the 9 justices who voted to grant Neri's petition are all appointees of PGMA. The other justice, on the other hand, is expected to be appointed Chief Justice when Justice Puno retires before 2010.

Tell me this isn't a devastating blow to Philippine democracy.

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"The giant question on the scope and use of executive privilege has cast a long shadow on the ongoing Senate inquiry regarding the alleged and attempted bribery of high government officials in the consummation of the National Broadband Network (NBN) Contract of the Philippine government.  With the expanse and opaqueness of the constitutional doctrine of executive privilege, we need to open a window to enable enough light to enter and illuminate the shadow it has cast on the case at bar.  The task is not easy, as the nature of executive privilege is not static, but dynamic.  Nonetheless, if there is a North Star in this quest, it is that the end all of executive privilege is to promote public interest and no other." (emphasis mine)

- Opening statement of Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno in his dissenting opinion in Romulo L. Neri vs. The Senate Committee on the Accountability of Public Officers and Investigations, Senate Committee on Trade and Commerce, and Senate Committee on Defense and National Security.