Senate all set for impeach trial

MANILA, Philippines - The Senate is all set for the start of the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona on Monday, and the public has been advised that tighter than usual security measures are in place.

Senate executive director for legislation Renato Bantug, in a pre-impeachment trial press briefing yesterday, said that the regular session would open at 9 a.m. while work of the impeachment court will commence at 2 p.m.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, presiding officer of the trial, will signal the start of trial with a call to order, followed by the approval of the journal of the previous session of the court.

Enrile is expected to issue a statement to mark the historic moment, this being the first time that a chief justice is subjected to an impeachment trial.

The prosecution panel, composed of 11 members of the House of Representatives, as well as their counterparts from the side of Corona, would then be formally presented before the court.

Once all of the procedural matters have been dispensed with, the court will consider the motion filed by the camp of Corona for a preliminary hearing to determine, among other things, if the signatures on the Articles of Impeachment that were transmitted to the Senate by the House were verified as required by the Constitution.

The office of the Senate sergeant-at-arms has advised all of the employees, members of the media and the public in general that security in and around the Senate building will be tightened starting Monday.

Senate sergeant-at-arms Jose Balajadia said he has not received any report of a security threat but preparations were still made to ensure that there will be no untoward incidents during the course of the trial.

Balajadia said that he has asked the Philippine National Police to augment its current security detail in the Senate for the duation of the impeachment trial.

Apart from securing Senate premises, Balajadia said that police personnel would be deployed at the nearby Film Center, the designated area for all demonstrations.

Guidelines

For the people who want to watch the trial live at the Senate, the office of the Senate secretary Emma Lirio Reyes has also released guidelines to ensure orderliness.

According to Reyes, a total of 175 slots in the session hall would be allotted for walk-in spectators, 25 of which would be for senior citizens.

Passes would be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis so interested viewers were advised to line up at the covered walk to the Senate grounds starting at 11 a.m.

The Senate will also enforce a strict dress code for entry into the session hall, specifically no slippers and sleeveless shirts.

As much as possible, the public is advised to wear shirts or blouses with collars.

Wearing of propaganda shirts, pins, identification cards and other similar paraphernalia would not be allowed inside the building.

The use of cell phones, cameras and other electronic devices would not be allowed inside the session hall.

According to Balajadia, the use of these devices would result in their confiscation while those who would disrupt the proceedings would be made to exit the session hall.

Live streaming of the trial would be made available through the Senate’s website and mirrored on a number of websites of news organizations to be announced later.

Several television networks and radio stations will also provide live coverage.

Close monitoring

The Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) has vowed to closely monitor the impeachment trial of Corona and stand against any unwarranted external influences to the objectivity of the judges in handing down their verdict.

In a strongly worded statement issued yesterday, the IBP expressed alarm over the reported move of President Aquino to meet the senators and the purported use of pork barrel funds to secure conviction of the embattled Chief Justice.

“Pork barrel is a detestable political tool that should have no place in the impeachment process,” the IBP said.

“While we put much faith in our senators, any monitoring should expose any moves to corrupt the process with pork barrel,” the group said.

The IBP said while the impeachment is considered a political exercise because of the role of the House of Representatives and Senate, its proceedings are still covered by rules under the law.

Meanwhile, an official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday described Aquino’s alleged move to meet with the senator-judges as very improper.

“The President should not have done this. It is morally wrong. They have equal powers,” said CBCP Permanent Council member Sorsogon Bishop Arturo Bastes, in an interview over church-run Radio Veritas.

Fair proceeding

On the other hand, groups belonging to the “Gloria Panagutin Movement” said they will exercise vigilance and mobilize in front of the Senate Monday to ask senator-judges for a fair and swift proceeding that they hope will result in the conviction of the Chief Justice.

“We are expressing support for the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona because this is part of our fight to make Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo accountable,” said Fr. Joe Dizon, one of the group’s convenors, in a news conference held at the University of the Philippines-Diliman campus.

“Everyone has a stake in this issue. The public wants to see that the stumbling blocks to making GMA accountable are removed. Everyone should closely monitor the developments in the trial. We should watch what the prosecutors, the defense and the senator-judges will be doing and be prepared to act,” Dizon said.

The group said that one of the strongest cases now against Corona is the one involving his action on the hasty issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) on the watchlist order against Arroyo.

The TRO gave Arroyo the legal basis she needed to insist on leaving the country. – With Edu Punay, Evelyn Macai- ran, Rhodina Villanueva