Doronila torn between reality and personal bias

The June 11 column of Amando Doronila (“P-Noy toady can’t be SC chief”) is a classic case of cognitive dissonance—the discomfort caused by holding conflicting cognitions (e.g., ideas, beliefs, etc.) simultaneously. For example, smokers are often at odds with themselves because they must reconcile their cancer-causing habit with wanting to live a long, healthy life.

On the one hand, Doronila decries the executive branch for overpowering the judiciary during the impeachment process but, on the other hand, he advocates “a chief justice whose integrity and independence are beyond reproach.” Moreover, he agrees with Sen. Joker Arroyo that Chief Justice Renato Corona should not have been removed just because of his inaccurate statement of assets, liabilities and net worth, but acknowledges that “the public should be craving for a chief justice who is the exact opposite of Corona.”

Unlike Senator Arroyo, who has reneged on his “Pag bad ka, lagot ka (If you’re bad, you’re gonna get it)!” campaign promise, Doronila just seems hard to please by anything that President Aquino does. This is why, despite knowing that an incorruptible Supreme Court is the best way to check and balance the power of the executive branch, Doronila finds it glib that the President is hell-bent in fighting corruption. He just does not care for this administration, going so far as to label it worse than the Marcos and (Gloria Macapagal) Arroyo regimes in terms of undermining the judiciary.

Sadly, like a smoker justifying his habit, Doronila chooses to

be biased rather than fair and objective.

—SOLIMAN DELARIARTE,

[email protected]