Last Monday morning, I was in the Pro-Life Conference for a talk about Liberalism, right after the talk with Real Catholic TV anchor Michael Voris who spoke on Modernism. He came to the Philippines to help the Pro-Life movement in the Philippines fight the evils of the proposed Reproductive Health (RH) bill. But before we began our talk, we spoke to the Carmelite sisters who wanted to know what really is happening to the outside world.
It was really the first time I was able to go inside the Carmelite’s Convent where some 20 nuns listened to Michael Voris and me talk about the what’s happening in Congress with the RH bill and they in turn wanted to know the score about the ongoing Senate Impeachment trial.
Since it was the 13 of February, I asked them to pray for cloistered nuns are the engines of prayer for a Catholic country like the Philippines. 13 is the day of apparition for our Blessed Mother and somehow, by God’s grace the senator-judges, in a 13-10 vote, agreed to honor the Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) of the Supreme Court, thus defusing what could have been an explosive situation.
As The Philippine Star editorial yesterday pointed out, “Fears of a constitutional crisis dissipated yesterday as senators voted to respect temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court on the opening of the dollar accounts of Chief Justice Renato Corona. The Senate made it clear, however, that it would defend before the SC the authority of the impeachment court to open the dollar accounts.” I fully concur with this observation.
Yesterday was Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile’s (JPE) birthday and many people congratulated him for keeping the balance of power when it was needed and yes, avoided what would have been a constitutional crisis, which could have triggered anything. I could sense a heightened anxiety when last Sunday and Monday I was getting so many texted reports, mostly rumors, ranging from the resignation of CJ Corona to the dumping of high-powered firearms in Northern Mindanao seen by US Navy submarines.
While the constitutional crisis was averted last Monday, however the bigger news emanating from the Senate trial was quite damaging to the prosecution when under questioning, PSBank manager Annabelle Tiongson openly admitted that the documents presented by the prosecution did not come from PSBank, and even said that they were fake. This took Senate Presiding Judge JPE aback, asking again for clarifications, and Tiongson repeated that they were fake documents.
In the end, the prosecution was warned by JPE to stop using the Senate subpoena to gather evidence of CJ Corona’s wrongdoing, which is clearly a fishing expedition, at the same time demanded from the prosecution to explain in 24-hours why they presented fake bank documents in the trial. It was prosecutor Rep. Umali who openly declared that the documents were given to him by a “small lady” in the hall. But this was refuted no less than Enrile, who announced that the CCTV in the Senate monitored the movements of Congressman Umali and it did not have on its record a “small woman” giving him any documents.
Today we will know what kind of excuses or lies the prosecution would present before the Senate trial. What the prosecution is really doing here is what my fellow Star columnist Alex Magno wrote a couple of weeks back, “What the prosecution is doing is dropping a piece of fruit on the ground and stomping on it and declaring it unfit for eating.” Indeed, they have been caught lying through their teeth making people believe what they want us to believe about CJ Corona’s being unfit to be Chief Justice.
Meanwhile while all this is happening, Pres. Benigno “PNoy” Aquino, III issued a statement saying to CJ Corona, “If you have nothing to hide, then show your dollar account.” But he conveniently forgot that it is the person accusing someone of wrongdoing who should present evidence on the guilt of the person accused and not the accused showing evidence of his innocence.
This is exactly similar to what happened during the Marcos years when the Integrated National Police (INP) came up with the Anti-Carnapping (ANCAR) permits where your car is considered stolen and it was for the car owner to prove that it was not. From day one, the prosecution bungled its way into this impeachment trial upon the orders of Pres. PNoy, now the tide has turned against them despite their black propaganda.
Meanwhile CJ Corona came out with a public statement openly accusing senator-judges Franklin Drilon, Alan Cayetano, Teofisto Guingona, Jr. and Serge Osmeña openly aiding the bungling prosecution team and thus are considered as “biased.” These accusations by CJ Corona was seen on live TV and you can say that when the 2013 elections come, the Filipino voter would be wiser this time and vote senators who can truly represent them.
* * *
Email: vsbobita@mozcom.com