Hole of Justice
By
Peter G. Jimenea
Persona Non Grata
The Violation of R.A. 3019, the Anti-Graf and Corrupt Practices Act plus Plunder
case filed by Manuel “Boy” Mejorada against Senate President Franklin Drilon, earned
for him the title “persona non grata” courtesy of the Iloilo City Council.
In diplomacy, the person declared persona non grata (Latin), literally
means an "unwelcome person." It refers to a foreign person who enters
and remained in a particular country who prohibits him to stay in that country
by its government.
It is the most serious form of censure a country can apply to foreign
diplomats, who are protected by diplomatic immunity from arrest and other
normal kinds of prosecution while staying in that country which censured him.
The case of Mejorada being a resident of the city is different.
Under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations Article 9, the receiving
State may "at any time and without having to explain its decision" can
declare any member of a diplomatic staff persona non grata or in case there are
more, personae non gratae (plural).
A person or diplomatic staff declared is considered unacceptable and is
usually recalled to his or her home country. Or if not, the State "may
refuse to recognize the person concerned as a member of the official mission”
and may also lose his prescribed immunity.
The case of Mejorada falls under the non-diplomatic use. Referring to
someone as persona non grata is to say that he or she is ostracized. Such person
is for all intents and purposes culturally shunned. In police parlance one who “breaks
the wall” of testifying against fellow officers.
Mejorada did not testify at the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee against anybody
but Drilon on issue of overprice or corruption, Unlike Ramon Bautista, a visiting
comedian declared by the City of Davao a persona non grata for his “hipon joke”
during Kadayawan Festival on August 2014.
"There is a need to let the world know and those that employ Mr.
Bautista that he is an extremely corrupt influence to the youth and his abusive
behavior should not be tolerated," the resolution said. Such declaration
of persona non grata against Mejorada is therefore, have different basis.
In which case, it is proper for Bautista to write his apology in Twitter because
he offended the integrity of the people and the name of Davao as how the former
mayor Sarah Duterte and the city council see it and Bautista has no evidence to
save face!
Besides, Davao City has an Ordinance that prohibits all forms of
discrimination based on sex, gender, identity, sexual orientation, race, color,
descent, national or ethnic origin, and religious affiliations or beliefs. In Mejorada,
no prohibition to expose corruption.
The City government through the city council has the right to express dislike
to Mejorada for what he did by exposing the alleged overprice in the pet project
of Sen. Drilon, the Iloilo Convention Center (ICC). But it is not dignity of
the people and the city government. In fact, this is to protect the taxpayers’
money!
What is there to crow about the persona non grata declaration when
Mejorada can still roam freely around the city that Drilon and wards are so
proud of? Two senators, Serge Osmena and Miriam Defensor Santiago want the investigation
to continue. The message is clear the Senate show must go on!
This writer agrees to the continuation of the investigation as it may
even clear the name of the beleaguered senator. Anyway all these projects the
senator has brought to the city are funded by the people’s money. So let us
know how our money are being spent. So, the probe must go on ex merito justicias - in the interest
of justice!
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