PHNO-BLOG WATCH: CORONA'S MISTAKES

BLOG WATCH: CORONA'S MISTAKES
BLOG WATCH, JUNE 1, 2012
(PHILSTAR) by Jess Lorenzo Posted of 05/27/2012 - While I
was watching CJ Corna's testimony last Tuesday, I was one of those who was
initially curious about what he had to say. For a while I also shared a few
friends' opinion that he should not be allowed to talk. But like many, we
appreciated Senator Juan Ponce Enrile's (JPE) position on the matter. For him it
was in deference to the Chief Justice, for me it was public perception. I think
that was necessary in order to cut thru the legal exchanges between the
prosecution and the defense, which would have buried the impression we wanted to
get out of CJ Corona.
In retrospect, I asked myself, did he do the right thing in his last
Tuesday's testimony? These are some things that Chief Justice Corona did not do
right.
1. He was not on the level with his lawyers
Rene Corona did not disclose to all his lawyers his plans. In a statement
with GMA-News, Sen. Drilon said that the defense team was disintegrating and
that lead counsel Serafin Cuevas wanted to hold Jose Roy III in contempt. Could
it be that Roy and Corona planned the whole Tuesday charade. If this was true,
this is very unethical behavior on Roy's part. This is one of the biggest
mistakes of Rene Corona. Cuevas was doing well fighting 'tooth-and-nail' for
him. A lawyer friend said, "I don't think Cuevas would have agreed to that kind
of ploy. He was already doing well with conducting the defense in the legal
arena."
2. He dared to fight in the realm of public opinion
If I may borrow Boy Montelibano's words in his article, he said, "Rene Corona
forgot a simple marketing principle - that the one without credibility cannot be
the main instrument to raise his credibility." He should have stayed where he
was doing well. His lawyers were putting up a good front in defending him in
spite of the evidences presented against him. He cannot change the deluge of
opinion makers in just one moment.
3. Wrong drama
The waiver he presented was conditional. He submitted it initially with the
condition the all 188 congressmen plus Sen. Drilon sign a waiver as well. Today,
CJ Corona submitted the waiver just when the defense and the prosecution
submitted and closed their arguments for ruling rendering the waiver useless. It
seems apparent that this submission was just for show in hopes to seemingly
appear transparent. This would have been good if he submitted it earlier.
4. The Walkout
The biggest blunder CJ Corona committed was the walk out. By this action, he
showed to the world that he has no respect for the senate impeachment trial. CJ
Corona may have returned to the senate today to present his excuse but the whole
country will never forget the walkout that the Chief Justice had done.
The walkout said much to me. It showed the kind of leader that CJ Corona is.
It showed a leader who seeks entitlement. When he walked out as he said, "Your
Chief Justice wants to be excused." It sounded to me like he said, 'I am the
chief justice and you have no right to question me.' This is apparent in the
strategy they took in a narrative testimony in order to avoid cross-examination.

He is the type of leader who wants to be exempted from the laws. It is
ironical that he is the Chief Justice that does not want to uphold justice. This
is apparent in the way he has been evasive in presenting evidences. Until the
last moment, he did not present substantial evidence that he did not have 12.5
million dollars as oppose to the AMLC documented evidence.
Sen. Franklin Drilon asked him why he did not declare assets and liabilities
in his SALN. He said, 'I am not too familiar with the debit and credit.' CJ
Corona taught in Ateneo Law School, he is a Chief Justice. I find his excuses
difficult to believe.


Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved




PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/phnotweet

This is the PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE (PHNO) Mailing List.

To stop receiving our news items, please send a blank e-mail addressed to: phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Please visit our homepage at: http://www.newsflash.org/

(c) Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
-------------------------------------------------------------Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/join
(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
phno-digest@yahoogroups.com
phno-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/