SENIOR SENATE JUDGES
MANILA, FEBRUARY 2, 2012 (STAR) By Marvin Sy - The impeachment trial
of Chief Justice Renato Corona, with all the work that it entails, is taking its
toll on several "senior" members of the Senate.
Sen. Joker Arroyo, the second most senior senator, manifested yesterday his
desire to shorten the impeachment trial to three hours a day, from 2 p.m. to 5
p.m.
Arroyo, 84, said it was not the additional work he was complaining about but
rather the imbalance between the time spent for the impeachment trial and that
spent for legislative work.
He said that he was alarmed at what was happening in the House of
Representatives where another impeachment case is being prepared against Supreme
Court Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo.
[PHOTO - 84-YEAR-OLD JOKER ARROYO]
If ever the impeachment of Del Castillo prospers, Arroyo said this would
leave the Senate with almost nothing else to do but to act as a court.
With the way things are going now, the veteran lawmaker noted that the Senate
spends 16 hours a week for the impeachment trial and just four hours for
legislation.
Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III admitted that the length of the
trial, as well as the two days of sessions, has put a strain on many of the
senators.
"This is a heavy load for some of us. It's (trial) too long. The span of
attention is limited. Most of us here are not young anymore," Sotto said in
Filipino.
He said it was agreed that the earlier adjournment of the trial would be left
to his discretion, with the approval of the Senate President.
He said that he would evaluate how the trial is going at 5 p.m. and then make
a recommendation to the Senate President on whether to continue or adjourn it.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, the presiding officer of the impeachment
court, said he would leave it up to his colleagues to decide on how long they
want the trial to last every day.
"I am amenable to trying it even beyond (5 p.m.) if that is the pleasure of
the Senate," he said.
Enrile, who will be turning 88 this Feb. 14, is the most senior member of the
Senate.
The Senate President has shown no signs of slowing down though, sitting
patiently through the impeachment trial from start to finish at an average of
four and a half hours a day from Monday to Thursday.
Enrile is a bit hard of hearing and has poor eyesight, but this has not
hindered him from exercising his duties well and has on many occasions shown
that his mind is still very sharp.
Sen. Pia Cayetano said that the trial could move faster if "we can prevent
the prosecution from grandstanding."
Cayetano said that the presentation of witnesses as well as documentary
evidence does not have to be riddled with technicalities, which she said only
slows down the proceedings.
There are 10 senators, including Enrile and Arroyo, who are over 60 years
old.
The other eight are Edgardo Angara, Manuel Villar Jr., Sergio Osmeña III,
Panfilo Lacson, Gregorio Honasan, Miriam Defensor- Santiago, Franklin Drilon and
Sotto.
Senator Santiago has already fallen ill because of the strain
of the trial.
She has long suffered from hypertension and had to take a leave of absence
from the Senate at the start of the regular sessions last Jan. 16.
Last Thursday, Santiago's blood pressure shot up after she admonished private
prosecutor Arthur Lim during the trial.
She was forced to leave early upon the advice of the Senate doctor.
She went on sick leave last Monday because of hypertension and has not
reported for work as of yesterday.
During yesterday's session, it was also decided that the regular sessions
would be held on Tuesdays and Wednesdays instead of Mondays and Tuesdays.
The change was proposed by Santiago and was adopted by the Senate.
According to Sotto, holding sessions on Mondays, with the impeachment trial
in the afternoon, was difficult for a number of senators.
Sotto said that some of the senators were coming from the provinces during
the weekend and would have to immediately attend the session, which would be
followed by a caucus among senators to prepare for the impeachment trial and
then go to trial for five hours in the afternoon.
"We removed it on Monday so that it would be easier to prepare for the
impeachment," Sotto said.
He said the Senate is working double time to fulfill its mandate of crafting
laws.
With the limited time left for legislation, Sotto said the Senate is making
the most of its time and has in fact passed three bills and taken up six
committee reports since it resumed session last Jan. 16.
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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