THE minority bloc in the House of Representatives on Wednesday said they were embarrassed with the way the 11-man House prosecution panel led by Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. had bumbled through the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona.
Minority Leader and Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez said the prosecution’s “vague plea” for the Senate impeachment court to allow them some liberality on the rules on evidence betrayed the weakness of their case.
“Now the prosecution is reduced to a mere damage-control machinery after every trial day, whining to the press about technicalities that delay the proceedings,” Suarez told reporters.
“The country is not amused; we all know that the delay is caused by the ill, bordering on non-perpetration of the prosecution,” Suarez said.
He said the prosecutors had nobody to blame but themselves if they lost the impeachment battle due to the haphazard way they transmitted the articles of impeachment to the Senate.
“While the question of whether or not the Chief Justice is guilty of the charges now belongs to the impeachment court, the confusion among the prosecution team reflects the haste that was attendant in the preparation of the articles,” Suarez sid.
“Haste makes waste … and glassy-eyed prosecutors,” he said.
Siquijor Rep. Orlando Fua, a minority member and a lawyer, said Tupas should be replaced to avoid further embarrassment to the institution.
He advised the House prosecution team never to go unprepared to the Senate impeachment trial.
But House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II rejected the calls to replace Tupas as lead prosecutor, saying he had been doing his job well.
“It is a matter of fine-tuning who will argue the case,” he said.
“There is no need to replace him.”
Gonzales said any lawyer would face a tough challenge if retired Justice Serafin Cuevas, lead defense counsel for Corona, was arguing the other side.
Tupas was recently dressed down by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, the presiding officer, and Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago after he was unable to answer questions put to him on his request that the Senate be “more liberal” in its interpretation of the rules of evidence.
But Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Aguinaldo Abaya Jr., the manager of the prosecution panel, said they were happy with Tupas.
“There are no changes in the team,” he said.
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