In view of the deep divide generated in the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona, it is well to heed the sound words of advice by Vice President Jejomar Binay who warned against repeating the “ruinous mistake” of taking constitutional shortcuts.
In a speech before the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines recently, the Vice President said if there was anything to learn from the impeachment trial of then President Joseph Estrada, it is that we should not repeat any of its mistakes.
Estrada’s trial was aborted when some senators and prosecutors walked out in protest against the court’s ruling to open inadmissible evidence not included in the articles of impeachment.
Recalling the outcome of the walkout, Binay rued that the issue of Estrada’s guilt or innocence was settled on the streets and Edsa II installed Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for nine years of misrule.
Binay’s speech before the foreign correspondents went largely unnoticed but in light of heated passions attending Chief Justice Corona’s impeachment trial going on at the Senate, his words should find resonance on both sides of the political divide.
It was wrong to have allowed enraged public opinion, rather than due process and the rule of law, to take control of the constitutional process, and to have allowed the impeachment trial to be aborted because of pressure from the streets, “ Binay said,
Unless the public sees a serious mishandling of the proceedings, Binay said “our common task is to lend to the Senate our attentive and respectful silence.”
Binay, seen as a frontrunner in the 2016 presidential race, said that one of the strengths of the Philippines is its democracy, which the country must capitalize on for it to fully harness its potential amid global political, economic and security threats.
We have to transmit to the future a working constitutional democracy that has permanently outlawed corruption not only by going after the corrupt but above all by eliminating bad laws and bad structures that had given corruption a nearly permanent refuge,” the Vice President said.
Spoken like a true elderly statesman.
As for the public’s attentive and respectful silence, the people drawn to the Senate proceedings and those closely following the impeachment trial on the three major television networks would attest to the Filipino’s political awareness. The same cannot be said of their respectful silence, Filipinos being outspoken by nature. Already some observers, legal minds and individuals imbued with innate intelligence cannot help but noticed some senators acting as lawyers for an inept prosecution.
Perhaps the prosecution is not totally inept. Although unprepared on the second day of the trial, the House panel trying the case was able to rearrange their priorities, bringing forward Article of Impeachment No.2—Corona’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.
By doing so, the prosecution put Corona’s lawyers immediately on the defensive, parrying off discrepancy in his SALN, his unexplained wealth and accumulation of vast property holdings.
The prosecution has called to the witness stand officials of the Land Registration Authority and city registrars of deeds to confirm Corona’s various real estate properties in Metro Manila. Corona has admitted to owning five pieces of prime real estate but denies ownership of 40 others.
The next few days could prove taxing for the embattled chief justice when prosecutors summon Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares and to bring to the impeachment court Corona’s income tax returns.
Henares would need President Aquino’s approval to release Corona ITRs. No one is taking any bets the President who has openly expressed his contempt for the chief justice will not give his approval.
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