EMBARRASSMENT
[PHOTO OF Photo Senate
Judges courtesy of POOL/REUTER]
MANILA, JANUARY 31, 2012 (MANILA
TIMES) Written by : JAIME PILAPIL REPORTER - Out of respect
for the Office of the President, particularly for a popular leader, majority if
not all of the current 23 senator-judges will vote to convict impeached Supreme
Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, a respectable senator, who asked not to be
identified, recently told a select group of reporters covering the Malacañang
beat.
The male senator, who is not a member of the ruling Liberal Party, said that
only Sen. Joker Arroyo is the remaining senator-judge who is not inclined to
vote for the conviction of Corona.
He added that the rest, including Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago, would accede
to the call of President Benigno Aquino 3rd to vote for the expulsion of Corona
from the Supreme Court.
"I'm sure the senators would heed the call of the President and they would
vote for the conviction of the Chief Justice," the senator told reporters over
dinner somewhere in Manila near Malacañang, official residence of President
Aquino.
In a bid to give credence to his analysis, he gave a rundown of the voting
inclination of the senator-judges.
Corona needs seven votes to acquit and 16 votes to convict.
The four senators from the Liberal Party—Franklin Drilon, Teofisto Guingona
3rd, Ralph Recto and Francis Pangilinan—would vote for conviction, according to
the source of The Manila Times.
Of the current 23 senators, six are eligible for reelection in the 2013
polls.
The six senators would be forced to vote for Corona's conviction so as not to
suffer the public wrath since Mr. Aquino is largely popular in the countryside.
They are Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis Escudero, Gregorio Honasan, Loren
Legarda, Antonio Trillanes 4th and Aquilino Pimentel 3rd.
The remaining six votes needed to convict the Chief Justice would be easily
attainable from Ramon Revilla Jr., Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada, Juan Ponce Enrile,
Pia Cayetano, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Vicente Sotto 3rd, Sergio Osmena 2nd and
Lito Lapid.
All of them were winners in the 2010 elections.
Only four are not eligible for reelection in 2013—Joker Arroyo, Pangilinan,
Panfilo Lacson and Manuel Villar.
If the President wants to play safe, he could easily get the votes of
Pangilinan and Lacson, who, according to The Times source, are salivating for
Cabinet posts anyway.
After two weeks, the impeachment court headed by Senate President Enrile was
yet to finish presentation of evidence.
Although the impeachment court ruled against the Corona family members taking
the witness stand, the prosecution was successful in having the statements of
assets, liabilities and net worth of the Chief Justice shown to the
senators-judges, including his income-tax returns.
Meanwhile, Malacañang deputy spokesman Abigail Valte on Sunday said that it
was still premature to find out the voting inclination of the senator-judges.
"At this point in the proceedings, it is still premature to gauge the
senator-judges. The senators are very judicious and comporting as to their
behavior," Valte added.
She said that the voting inclination of the senator-judges would be evident
when proceedings at the Senate impeachment court are about to wind up or when
the voting on the fate of Corona is fast approaching.
[Children run after a dragon kite during a kite flying exhibition in
Rizal Park in Manila yesterday. The activity is part of the Philippine Arts
Festival in celebration of National Arts Month. VAL
RODRIGUEZ]
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All rights reserved
PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS
ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE
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