MANILA,
DECEMBER 18, 2011 (INQUIRER) By Christian V. Esguerra - Is Malacañang going after the Senate presidency ahead of the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona?
Senate President Pro Tempore Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada has lambasted
purported efforts to unseat Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, with a
month to go before Corona formally goes on trial for alleged betrayal of
public trust and culpable violations of the Constitution.
Estrada, an ally of the 87-year-old Enrile, was surprisingly candid
in what should have been a perfunctory speech during a Christmas party
for Senate reporters Thursday night.
"There are reports that many senators want to become Senate
president, but they will not get the position," Estrada said in Filipino
in the presence of Enrile and Senator Gregorio Honasan, who co-hosted
the party with him.
"If the Senate president is relegated to an ordinary senator, your
Senate president pro tempore will also be relegated to an ordinary
senator—that, I promise, Manong Johnny, I will never leave you."
Unlike the House of Representatives which is controlled by President
Benigno Aquino and his Liberal Party, the Senate is seen as independent,
with only four senators belonging to the ruling party.
Corona earlier blasted the President for his impeachment, saying it
was fueled by the desire to control the Supreme Court by appointing a
chief justice who would follow his wishes.
In a phone interview with the Inquirer on Friday, Estrada cited
reports of alleged plans to unseat Enrile. "Pumitik-pitik lang," he
said, describing his message to Enrile the night before.
Asked what the likelihood was on Enrile losing his post, he replied
that if the Corona ouster is not achieved, "it's possible. You know how
it is…."
In his own message during the party, Enrile told Estrada that he
would spend the entire Christmas break training the younger senator, who
is not a lawyer, on the rules of evidence, to prepare him "if something
happens to me."
"I am training Jinggoy because if something happens to me while we
are trying the impeachment case, he would be the one to preside," he
said in Filipino.
"That's why I would give you a seminar on the rules of evidence. From
our vacation until January 15 (eve of the trial), we will do nothing
but to memorize the rules of evidence so that you could make the
rulings."
Enrile also expressed uncertainty on how long he could stay on at the
helm of the Senate. He earlier said he would readily step down if any
other senator could muster the required 13 votes to become Senate
president.
"We're all very happy today. It's Christmas once again. I hope we get
to spend another Christmas. But I'm not saying that I would reach the
next Christmas as president (of the Senate)," he said.
Honasan warned Friday against ousting Enrile, saying it would only
"reinforce the perception" that Aquino was indeed out to control the
legislature and the judiciary.
"Sagaran na yun," he told the Inquirer. "It would reinforce the
perception that the Palace wants to control the two other co-equal
branches of government. It might shift public opinion against it. It
would not help if they would mess around with the Senate, especially at
this point."
Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III agreed with Honasan's observation,
saying "it would be better if Malacañang would just let things be."
Sotto was confident that Enrile would keep his post because their
so-called "macho bloc" remained "a very solid and secure majority."
Besides the two of them, the bloc includes Estrada, Honasan, and
Senators Panfilo Lacson and Antonio Trillanes IV.
Enrile is also backed by the Nacionalista Party bloc of Senator
Manuel Villar, which includes Senators Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Joker
Arroyo, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Loren Legarda, and the Cayetano siblings.
Honasan said it would be difficult for Malacañang to oust Corona if
senators were to decide based on party affiliation, even if Senators
Francis Escudero and Sergio Osmena III were added to the four LP
senators.
"All the rest are independent-minded senators belonging to different
party affiliations," Honasa said. "Even if you look at the number, it
dilutes the so-called influence of the President on the Senate."
Those seeking to oust Corona would need the affirmative vote of at
least 16 senators for at least one article of impeachment. There are 23
senators and the required number of votes would remain at 16 even if
Santiago leaves to join the International Criminal Court, according to
Sotto.
"So, how do you influence all these 23 variables? Would you talk to
each of the 23 senators and convince them to vote in your favor?"
Honasan said.
FROM THE TRIBUNE
Noy allies plotting coup vs JPE to control CJ's impeach trial By Angie M. Rosales 12/17/2011
Coup talk in the Senate has been making the rounds following the convening of the upper chamber into an impeachment court.
That a coup may be in the offing was virtually confirmed Thursday
night by Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, although he
underscored that the talks are mere rumors at this time.
Estrada, however, reaffirmed his loyalty right before Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.
Tribune sources said that some senator-allies of President Aquino
were behind a plot to unseat Enrile as the Senate chief is seen to play
fair and stick by the rules, making it difficult for the yellow crowd to
create a ruckus and try to sway public opinion to pressure the
senator-judges into convicting Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Already, the Senate chief had warned that he will not allow anybody
to stage a walkout, which was done during the impeachment trial of then
sitting President Joseph Estrada, where then presiding Justice Chief
Justice Hilario Davide allowed, instead of stopping, the prosecutors and
lawyers from walking out, effectively collapsing the impeachment trial
while allowing the anti-Estrada groups led by the civil society to bring
issue to the streets and mount a coup against Estrada.
Enrile is also expected to stick to the agreed rules.
Replacing Enrile with an Aquino ally will bring about a change in the
presiding justice of the impeachment court, with the new presiding
justice allowing the House prosecutors, all of whom are Aquino allies, a
lot of leeway.
It is the allies of Aquino who want a conviction, but at this time,
realize that it would be difficult to gain the vote of 16 senators for
conviction, since, unlike in the House of Representatives, there are
only a few Liberal Party members, plus a smattering of Aquino allies in
the Senate.
The Tribune source said that these coup plotters may want to reprise
what was done during the impeachment of former President Estrada, where
they were able to coopt other senators then seen as Estrada allies.
It was also clear that given the required number for the Senate to
convict Estrada, that the then sitting president would not be convicted.
It is also recalled that the gallery-filled civil socialites and
anti-Estrada militants' heckling was being tolerated by the then
presiding justice.
Even the demonstrators against Estrada were allowed entry to the Senate impeachment court.
It was also reported then that even the anti-Estrada senator-judges
were seen outside of the courtroom with witnesses who were to tapped to
testify, even coaching them.
Senator Estrada during the Christmas party which was hosted by him,
Senator Enrile and Sen. Gregorio Honasan for Senate beat reporters,
virtually confirmed there were talks of a plot to unseat the current
upper chamber chief.
"But they will not succeed," he said, adding that there had indeed been numerous similar attempts in the past to oust Enrile.
"If the Senate president will be relegated to (an) ordinary senator,
the Senate president pro tempore will also be relegated as (an) ordinary
senator. Manong Johnny (Enrile), I will not leave you. That's a
promise," Estrada said directly to Enrile who was seated in a round
table right in front of him, when he was asked to give a Christmas
message.
The senator said some of his colleagues remain loyal and continue to
back Enrile's leadership and they include Honasan and Majority Leader
Vicente Sotto III.
"Our Senate president is loved by our employees, unlike some others whom the employees dislike," Estrada stressed.
Honasan said that if there is indeed a plot to replace Enrile at this
point when the upper chamber is about to hear the impeachment complaint
against Chief Justice Corona, it would certainly backfire on the Aquino
administration.
Enrile has made it very clear that he will not stay a day longer as
Senate chief if anybody among the senators want to replace him, as long
as they can present to him a list of 13 senators saying they want him
out.
So far, in many attempts, the plots to oust Enrile have failed to materialize.
Malacañang and its political allies from the House of Representatives
have been hounded by allegations of railroading the transmittal of the
articles of impeachment against Corona to the Senate.
To convict Corona from the charges, a vote of 16 senators, acting as
jurors, are needed. On the matter of ousting a Senate president, a vote
of 13 senators is required by the upper chamber rules.
Honasan expressed belief that coup talks might have been purposely floated "to test the waters."
Honasan also said he is certain that those behind any coup attempt
would not approach him for support because they know of his closeness to
the Senate chief.
During the 1986 military coup that caused the downfall of the late
President Ferdinand Marcos, Enrile who was then the defense minister led
the group alongside then former President Fidel Ramos who was then
still a general and Honasan who was an Army colonel.
Rumored threats against the continued stay in the Senate presidency of Enrile came up some two weeks ago.
Enrile said he remains unperturbed by these coup talks as he does not
intend to cling to his seat especially if he no longer enjoy the trust
and confidence of his peers.
"As I have said, I am ready to give this position to anybody who can
present to me 13 names. They can have it. I am not clinging to this
position. From day one I told Senators (Franklin) Drilon, (Francis)
Pangilinan and everybody that anytime they do not want me anymore just
present to me the numbers. If they want me to resign, I will resign.
They can get somebody else to take over," he said.
Drilon and Pangilinan were gunning for the president of the Senate shortly after the May 10 elections.
"I have no term sharing with anybody. I do not share my position with
anybody. My position as a senator was given to me by the Filipino
people. My position as a Senate President was given to me by my peers in
the Senate. I did not ask for it. If they want to replace me, tell me.
As a matter of responsibility, I cannot abandon the job but once they
show me a list of 13 names I will vacate the position," he added.
Estrada assured that, whatever will be their vote in the impeachment trial of Corona, it would be for the good of the country.
"We will always do our best and perform our duty as a senator," he said.
But for the allies of Aquino, the chief justice is likely to be
convicted because of the perception that he is a stumbling block to the
Aquino government's efforts to hold former president and now Pampanga
Rep. Gloria Arroyo accountable for misdeeds during her presidency.
According to partylist Gabriela Rep. Emmi de Jesus the impeachment
case is not a fight between Chief Justice Corona and President Aquino
but a fight by those who would like to see Mrs. Arroyo account for her
wrongdoing.
De Jesus stressed that some sectors are trying to confuse the people
by making it appear that the impeachment case is a personal move of
President Aquino.
"We in the Makabayan bloc supported the impeachment against Chief
Justice Corona because he is a major stumbling block to the prosecution
of GMA," De Jesus said, adding that even before the filing of the
impeachment case they have already been criticizing Corona for his
alleged questionable decisions.
"We supported the impeachment complaint because Chief Justice Corona
has to be held accountable for using his position not just to protect
the former president from prosecution but to justify and legalize the
many anti-people acts that she did when she was still president," the
lawmaker said.
Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño said that the decisions of Corona are glaring in favoring Mrs. Arroyo.
Iloilo rep. Niel Tupas, chairman of the House committee on justice
said that the evidence against Corona is strong and that they are
confident the Corona would be convicted by the impeachment court.
"We are confident that with the evidence that we have against the
respondent we can get a conviction in the Senate," Tupas said.
Tupas said that the House is not going to put its reputation on the line if it does not have the evidence to convict Corona.
"We are not going to impeach a person unless we have the evidence to convict him," the Iloilo lawmaker said.
He said that 188 lawmakers are not going to sign the impeachment case
if they know that the case is not going to prosper, even when 188
lawmakers signed the Articles of Impeachment without even reading it, or
the so-called evidence that Tupas claims is "strong." With Gerry Baldo
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
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