Bitter lessons learned from the Corona impeachment
Now that Philippine history is going to unfold another landmark impeachment trial, it is important that both the prosecution and the defense, as well as the Filipino people, in general, the whole nation should look back to the infamous impeachment of Chief Justice Renato C Corona on December 12, 2011 and his conviction on May 12, 2012. And learn from its bitter lessons.
First lesson: There was no evidence that CJ Corona, the 23rd Chief Justice of the Philippines was the worst among all our chief justices. Neither was there any proof that what he did and what he did not do were the most despicable among all actuations of all impeachable public officials. But he happened to have the most powerful man then as his "enemy," the president of the Philippines. The same situation is confronting the vice president today.
Second: CJ Corona was an appointee of the president's immediate predecessor, GMA, and PNoy then looked at the chief justice as beholden to his appointing power. In fact, the first among the articles of impeachment against Corona was "Partiality and Subservience in cases involving the Arroyo administration from the time he was appointed as associate justice to the time of his "midnight appointment" as chief justice." If Corona was identified with the immediate past administration, VP Sara is the daughter of the immediate past president.
Third, at the time of the Corona impeachment both the House of Representatives and the Senate were controlled by the coalition party of the then sitting president. Then Speaker Feliciano Belmonte was a political ally of President BS Aquino III. The Senate President, Juan Ponce Enrile, whose party was UNA, belonged to the majority coalition. The same is true today, both the Speaker and the Senate President are allies of the President.
Fourth, the records show that Senator Jinggoy Estrada, in a privilege speech in September 2013, revealed that all senators who voted to impeach Corona were allegedly given an additional discretionary fund of 50 million each. It also happened that there are unconfirmed rumors that the House members who signed the impeachment endorsement were given some alleged "funds." In fact, a congressman from Cebu openly declared that he signed the impeachment because he did not want his district to get "zero" allocation.
Fifth, then Budget secretary Florencio Abad was recorded to have confirmed that indeed, an additional 1.107 billion in pork barrel funds were granted to senators who voted to convict Corona. It was also reported that two out of the three senators who voted to acquit Corona were given zero allocations. Senator Franklin Drilon, then chair of the Senate, was reported to have disclosed that the additional allocations were supposedly "incentives" for those who voted to convict Corona. Well, that same scenario is not far-fetched today.
Sixth, the members of the House who refused to sign the Corona impeachment lost their committee chairmanships and suffered from alleged series of discriminations. Congressman Toby Tiangco lost his chairmanship of the MMDA Committee when he revealed that the Articles of Impeachment was approved without the House members scrutinizing it. Congressman Hermilando Mandanas, who refused to sign the impeachment, lost his chairmanship of Ways and Means.
Seventh, the 20 administration allies who voted to convict Chief Justice Corona were: Edgardo Angara, LDP, Alan Peter Cayetano, NP, Pia Cayetano, NP, Franklin Drilon, LP, Senate President JP Enrile, UNA, Francis Escudero, Independent, Jinggoy Estrada, UNA, T G Guingona, LP, Gregorio Honasan, UNA, Panfilo Lacson, Independent, Lito Lapid, Lakas, Loren Legarda, NPC, Serge Osmena, Independent, Francis Pangilinan, LP, Koko Pimentel, PDP-Laban, Ralph Recto, LP, Bong Revilla, Lakas, Antonio Trillanes, NP, Manny Villar, NP.
Eighth, the Corona defense panel was high-powered with retired Supreme Court Justice Serafin Cuevas, Professor Jacinto Jimenez, Dean Jose Roy III, Dean Eduardo de los Angeles, Dean Tranquil Salvador, German Lichauco II, Dennis Manalo, Ramon Esguerra, and Karen Jimeno. And yet, only three voted to acquit Corona: Joker Arroyo, Lakas, Miriam Defensor Santiago, PRP and Bongbong Marcos, NP. Of those who voted only 3 belonged to the minority: Joker Arroyo and the Cayetano siblings.
Ninth, the prosecutors from the House included representatives Raul Daza, Niel Tupas Jr, Neri Colmenares, Marilyn Agabsa, Elpidio Barzaga, Giorgidi Aggabao, Kaka Bag-ao, Reynaldo Umali, Rodolfo Farinas and Sherwin Tugna. They were joined by private prosecutors: mario Bautista, Aethue Lim, Demetrio Custodio, Jose Benjamin Panganiban, Ernesto Viovicente, Frederick Ballesteros, and Winston Ginez.
Tenth, I predict that the following are most likely to acquit VP Sara: Robinhood Padilla, Mark Villar, and assuming these 11 will win, Imee Marcos, Bong Go, Bato dela Rosa and Manny Pacquiao, Willy Revillame, Philip Salvador, Camille Villar, Erwin Tulfo, and Ben Tulfo. In this scenario, the vice president will win with 13 votes for acquittal. That means the prosecution cannot get only 11, or less than the required two thirds or 16.
I can be wrong, of course, but I am most likely to be proven right.
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