Not Corona but Aquino on trial

“In the name of God, go!” This was the opening statement of Niel Tupas Jr. last Monday at the start of the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona at the Senate. Tupas heads the team prosecuting the case against Corona.

Tupas should not have started with an invocation of God because God has nothing to do with the ongoing circus, even if it happens to have been orchestrated by the son of a martyr and a saint.

We have just seen two great religious celebrations in the feasts of the Black Nazarene and the Santo Niño. Yet here comes Tupas, forgetting that Jesus frowns on being confused with secular authority (render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, remember?).

I am writing about Tupas and not Corona because the case of Corona in now before the public, open for appreciation and judgment by anyone who cares to follow the case on TV, radio and the newspapers.

The more compelling experience, however, would be to watch TV, because it is where you can watch the blow-by-blow as the thing itself unfolds live before your eyes. A word of caution though about TV analysis: Choose your channel. Avoid the reeking bias of the pro-Aquino network.

Now back to Tupas. I am singling out Tupas because of all the prosecutors in the case, he is the most garrulous, which I attribute to his having the biggest axe to grind against Corona, and the real cause behind all of these — Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.

In his opening statement he prefaced with the “In the name of God, go” exhortation, Tupas went on to say: “It is high time for us to put an end to your sitting in that place, which you have dishonored by your contempt of virtue, and defiled by your practice of every vice;

“You are an enemy of good government, as you have sold your country for a mess of pottage, and like Judas Escariot betrayed your God for a few pieces of gold. Depart, I say, and let us have done with you.”

Strong words, big words that you might expect can only come from somebody god-like and above contempt. But who is Tupas really? And how clean is he to be able to speak before the nation with the bravery and confidence of one who is without sin?

Tupas is the son of Niel Tupas Sr. of Iloilo. In other words, he does not have to look far if he really needs to put into context all the big and strong words he has spoken, and at the same time introduce the real relevance of what is exactly going on right now in our country.

 I will not describe who Tupas is myself and why he feels so involved in all of this. Just go to the Internet and type Niel Tupas Sr. to make your own discoveries. By the father shall you know the son.

And that is why I feel so strongly about this case and everything Noynoy Aquino has been doing, either by himself or through stoogies like Tupas. If we must fight corruption, then by all means let us fight corruption. But let it not be only against a particular set of corruptors.

Because to be selective is corrupt in itself and renders the whole undertaking a sham. Even the upright supporters of Noynoy are losing sleep in their inability to defend him against the validity of the issues he faces. The best they can do is call Noynoy’s critics names.

But this is not about critics, nor about Corona, or Arroyo for that matter. There are processes to go about if you want to go after Corona, Arroyo or whoever else. All you need is the evidence. But when you take shortcuts or ignore due process it becomes all about Noynoy Aquino.

Believe it or not, but whatever happens to Corona or Arroyo no longer shapes our destiny. Both have already been convicted before the bar of public opinion, remember? It is what proceeds from this moment that history still needs to score — for or against Noynoy.