CREDIBLE / IMPEACH MORE JUSTICES DENIED
MANILA, DECEMBER 28,
2011 (STAR) By Christina Mendez - Sen. Miriam
Defensor-Santiago yesterday urged her colleagues to ensure the outcome of the
impeachment trial against Chief Justice Renato Corona starting January will be
based on the merits of the case that would be presented by both the House
prosecution and defense panels.
She reminded her colleagues that the public will be watching every move
during the impeachment trial, deemed as the first in Philippine history to
involve a chief magistrate.
"It's a question of whose story is more credible," Santiago said.
"The public would see the evidence coming from the prosecutors of the House
of Representatives and the Chief Justice would present his evidence as the
accused. The people would judge if the Senate followed the right procedure in
convicting him or not," Santiago said in an interview over dzBB radio.
"In other words, this is a question whether the law has been applied
correctly and whether public opinion agrees that the law has been applied
correctly," she added.
Corona is expected to submit a reply today to the summons given by the
Senate, which informed him that the Senate has convened in an impeachment court
and that the House has filed articles of impeachment against him for betrayal of
public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.
The 10-day deadline lapsed on Dec. 25, but since it is a holiday, the
deadline is moved today.
"Ultimately, the test will be public opinion but we are hoping the public
opinion will be enlightened. The Senate must be extremely careful in what we are
doing," Santiago said.
She said it would be difficult for the senator-judges since they have to
memorize and familiarize themselves with the rules of court.
"We should be also aware of what the public wanted and expected of us. So we
have to be very clear in our consciences that we know what is right when we see
it," she added.
Santiago noted the need to resolve a pending motion at the Supreme Court,
which she described as "strange" because the judicial body that needs to resolve
it is the same headed by the chief justice who is the subject of impeachment.
She was referring to the petition filed by a group of lawyers questioning the
legality of the impeachment case filed against Corona. The Supreme Court
deciding on such petition would trivialize the filing of any impeach case
against any justice, she added.
As this developed, Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III expressed belief
that there is no need to postpone the impeachment trial in a bid to stop
politicizing the situation and to provide ample time for the executive
department to focus on relief operations for the victims of tropical storm
"Sendong" in Mindanao.
"Why prolong the agony when the executive department should be giving
assistance to the Sendong victims? We should finish (impeachment process) as
soon as we can," Sotto said.
"At the Senate, we are also helping the victims of the Sendong tragedy. We
will continue to do our job as legislators and as an impeachment court," he
said.
Sotto expects that the Corona trial will last about three months just before
Congress goes into the Holy Week break.
Although some pro-administration senators have voiced their opinion to the
Corona case, Sotto expressed belief that the majority of senators will be
impartial on the issue.
"As a whole, the Senate will be fair. There can be some senators who already
have their own opinion, and that cannot be avoided. There are some who have
different opinion but we took oath that we will be impartial in the
proceedings," Sotto said.
"If there will be senators who will not abide by the oath, the public will be
the ones to decide in the end," he added.
FROM MANILA STANDARD
Plan to impeach more justices denied by Maricel
Cruz
THE chairman of the House's justice committee on Monday denied plans to
impeach 10 other Supreme Court justices who were appointed by former President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
At the same time, an official familiar with the impeachment talks at the
House said the administration's allies were having a hard time getting solid
evidence to unseat the so-called Arroyo appointees in the high court.
"They [the administration coalition] indeed have plans to wipe out the
co-called Arroyo appointees in the Court, because the President himself believes
they are a hindrance," said the lawmaker who requested anonymity.
"But then again, how can you unseat these justices when you don't have enough
proof to do so? That's wrong. That is a total disregard for the rule of law."
For now, the ruling coalition has been focusing on strengthening its
impeachment case against Chief Justice Renato Corona, who goes on trial in
January, according to Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas, chairman of the panel and lead
prosecutor of the 11-man House prosecution panel.
He said they would continue hearing the impeachment complaint before his
panel against Supreme Court Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo, who is
accused of plagiarizing a decision to dismiss the case of the so-called Filipino
comfort women against the Japanese government.
"For now, we will just focus on the impeachment of Chief Justice Corona and
also of Justice del Castillo," Tupas told reporters.
He said he might announce this week the name of the lead private prosecutor
while the final assignments of prosecutors would be disclosed in the first week
of January.
Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya said impeaching the 10 other
justices was not on the radar right now. But he agreed there was a need to focus
on Corona's impeachment.
"There was no discussion about it [impeaching the 10 other justices]. What we
intend to do now is to ensure that we can prove our complaints against Chief
Justice Corona before the Senate impeachment court," Abaya said.
Earlier, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said 10 other Supreme Court
justices might also be impeached depending on the decision of the House of
Representatives.
Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares, also a prosecutor, said the names
of Associate Justice Presbyterio Velasco and Clerk of Court Enriqueta Vidal
would be included in his list of those who would be summoned to testify in the
Senate impeachment trial.
"I will ask the Senate to subpoena Justice Velasco to shed light on the
irregularities detailed in Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno's dissent regarding the
promulgation of a resolution Velasco issued on November 28 explaining the Court
decision on the TRO [temporary restraining order] allowing President Gloria
Arroyo to travel abroad," Colenares said in a statement.
"The charge that Chief Justice Corona fundamentally altered the Court's
decision declaring the TRO effective even if the Court [had] just decided by a
vote of 7-6 that the TRO conditions have not been substantially complied with,
is serious and could be used as additional evidence to prove Corona's partiality
to protect Gloria Arroyo and allow her one more chance to escape for abroad," he
said.
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2011 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
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