Tagalog in impeach court, Bisaya in regional court

MANILA, Philippines - After the move to have the impeachment proceedings conducted in Tagalog, a bus driver charged with the death of a journalist was arraigned yesterday – in the Visayan dialect.

Judge Ralph Lee asked Daniel Espinosa if he watched the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona on TV and if he wanted the charges to be read to him in Tagalog.

Espinosa, who is facing charges for the accident that killed journalist Chit Estella-Simbulan last year, said yes.

Judge Lee explained: “The rule is (to use) the language known to the accused.”

Espinosa’s lawyer Salvador Panelo then suggested that the indictment be read in Bisaya.

Espinosa, who drove the bus owned by Universal Guiding Star, is a native of Davao City. After fleeing the scene on the night of the accident, he surrendered to Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

The court interpreter then read in Bisaya the indictment for reckless imprudence resulting in damage to property with homicide, to which Espinosa pleaded not guilty.

After yesterday’s arraignment, Panelo explained that the accused would understand it better if the charges were read to him in his native tongue.

Victor Ancheta of Nova Auto Transport Inc. was arraigned last year for the same charges.

Both bus drivers previously posted bail for their temporary liberty.

Simbulan died on the night of May 13, 2011 while in a cab on her way to a gathering of friends at the UP Ayala Land Technohub along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.

Initially, it was just Espinosa who was tagged in the accident after he left his bus at the crime scene.

However, a reinvestigation by the police showed there was another bus involved in the accident, the one driven by Ancheta.

Panelo also insisted that cabbie Vito Jagunos, who drove for Simbulan on the night of the accident, should also be indicted.

Panelo filed a pending appeal before the fiscal to reconsider the earlier resolution clearing Jagunos.

The journalist’s husband, Prof. Roland Simbulan, said he was not surprised by the “not guilty” plea entered by Espinosa, since the defense has been denying the charge since day one.

“How can that be when there was an accident... He (Espinosa) even fled and now, he pleads not guilty?” he said.