Raul Pangalanan on Arroyo's Stonewalling strategy

EO 464 is dead again, but the coverup will continue. A must read.

UPDATE: Did GMA blink, or wink?

MORE from Ninez Cacho Olivares:

Just what powers did Gloria give up when she scrapped Executive Order (EO) 464, known as her gag rule?

Nothing, which is why there is no cause for anyone — including the Catholic bishops, to jump like chimpanzees over the lifting of her gag rule, because, for one, her officials are to remain gagged, through her abuse of the power of the executive privilege principle. For another, the Panganiban Court had already voided those sections in EO 464, which were in conflict with Congress’ powers to summon Palace executives to its legislative hearings.

So her officials can no longer use as an excuse for their absence in congressional hearings EO 464. Big deal. The record will show that the Cabinet officials have not been invoking the EO to explain away their absence, although the military does.

Instead, they invoke executive privilege, in which case, they will be attending congressional hearings but will refuse to answer questions posed to them by the legislators, on account of executive privilege. So what has really changed in the gag rule equation?