Ordinary is good

What a difference a week makes!  Last week, Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona was exactly that.  This week, he lost all four words that make up his label - that is, unless he puts “ex” right before everything, in which case, he’s still got the words, but none of the stature.

With a shocking 20-3 vote, our Senate finally gave Corona the boot.  He is gone, he has decided not to create a constitutional crisis by running to his brethren in the Supreme Court, and the impeachment process is over.  This, after pessimists and cynics had given up any notion of justice, and many citizens having lost their faith in the government (with some even threatening to migrate out of this country if the results had been an acquittal).

So what now?  I realize I’ve been pushing for the removal of the Chief Justice for a long time, and it’s been perhaps half a year of wailing and flailing, oops, I mean sober reflection and dispassionate analysis.  With him gone, what’s there to do? 

That is exactly the question being posed by journalists, as they figure out what happens next.  Senator Ed Angara says we cannot be vindictive.  As the removal from the Chief Justice’s office is the highest penalty we can exact, we should now close the matter, and turn to other more important affairs of the state.  Our President is of a different opinion, as in turn, he says that all the cases that naturally go with the evidence uncovered during the impeachment proceedings should now dictate the course of action to be taken against Corona.

What exactly are these?  Well, it really boils down to the millions in dollars and pesos that the ex-Chief Justice admitted he had in his accounts.  That he admitted he had not disclosed in his many filings.  That he had supposedly started earning when he was still in college, as if anyone could believe that.  

Our Ombudsman is already investigating him for ill-gotten wealth.  On the other hand, our Bureau of Internal Revenue is looking into his assets for tax evasion.  If we accept the proposition of Senator Angara to let bygones be gone, would this mean the dismissal of these cases?

I have a very difficult time accepting this.  It’s the same sad refrain that I wrote about last week, that we Filipinos are such softies.   We catch a crook, he says sorry and sings a tune of how unfortunate his life has become, and our hearts melt.  This was the exact pushover syndrome I had warned about last week, before the Senate went into a vote.  I had prayed that the Senate’s hearts were made more of iron rather than mush, and thankfully, gloriously, it turned out they were made of much sterner stuff than I had feared. 

But now we have come to another crossroads, and the Pinoy Pushover syndrome is starting to manifest itself.  Hence, Senator Angara’s pronouncements, echoed by many powerful politicians, (although those are perhaps driven by the fear that an avalanche of demands is on the way for them to start publicly disclosing their Statement of Assets and Liabilities.) 

But their position is incredible.  Imagine, letting a person who has occupied the highest position in the judiciary walk away scot free with ill-gotten wealth (if that is proven) just because he’s been removed from office?  What kind of signal will that send to the other crooks in government?  Or to future, aspiring crooks?  That will only tell them they can waltz in and plunder to their hearts content, because they know that if they’re caught, all they have to do is bleat.  Then they’re let off with a stern warning.  Stained reputation.  Bad publicity.  No family honor.  But!  Potentially many, many millions in the bank account.

Not exactly a great incentivizer for people to stay clean, right?  

President Aquino is taking the right position.  If there’s evidence, then let Corona be dealt with like any ordinary person.  Because after all, that is what he is.