Lead House Prosecutor Rep. Niel Tupas Jr.
It looks like now that of the eight articles of impeachment filed against Chief Justice (CJ) Renato Corona, the House prosecution panel, led by Rep. Niel Tupas Jr., has announced on the 25th day of the impeachment trial that they will no longer pursue Articles 1, 4, 5, 6, and 8 against the CJ and instead would just let the Articles already presented, namely, 2, 3, and 7 decide his fate.
“It’s our humble submission that we have already presented a strong case and the evidence that we have laid down sufficiently for the removal from office of Chief Justice Corona for betrayal of public trust with the presentation of Articles 3, 7 and especially 2,” Tupas told the Senate, sitting as impeachment court.
What is being dropped and withdrawn and which could only mean that the prosecution don’t have a strong case to pursue them, which will only result from being further chastised by the senator-judges for inadequacy and incompetence, if they do, are: Articles 1 – partiality in cases involving the Arroyo administration; Article 4 — disregard of the separation of powers by issuing a status quo ante order against the House of Representatives in the case concerning the impeachment of then Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez; Article 5 — arbitrariness and partiality in cases related to the creation of 16 new cities and promotion of Dinagat island into a province; Article 6 — arrogating unto himself the authority to investigate an erring member of the Supreme Court to exculpate him; Article 8 — failure and refusal to account for the Judiciary Development Fund and Special Allowance for the judiciary collections.
On the other hand, the prosecution believes that their ace for gaining the conviction and removal of Corona as CJ lies on the following: Article 2 – failure to disclose statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN); Article 3 — failure to observe stringent standards of competence, integrity, probity, and independence; and Article 7 — partiality in granting a TRO (temporary restraining order) in favor of the former President now Rep.Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her husband Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo allowing them to leave the country last November so that the former chief executive can seek advanced medical treatment for her spine ailment.
Now, my question is: Does this manifestation by Rep. Tupas sit well on the majority of the Filipino people who wants to see this impeachment trial end and justice be dispensed already to whoever is found culpable?
Absolutely! Enough is enough!
Are we still saying we have not heard enough or that we have not seen enough?
Lawyers like ex-Justice Serafin Cuevas of the defense can mesmerize other law practitioners with his savvy in law by making it appear that black is white and vice-versa or make all testimonies by prosecution witnesses appear hearsays, but thank goodness many of us are literate, despite not being lawyers, and have good sense of discretion, of discernment, of maturity to distinguish the right from the wrong, the good from the evil and the proper from the improper.
Those evidences, documents, testimonies were not shown and made just for the heck of it. None was picked up from the air. They were unearthed and spoken and shown to the public because all are manifestations of truth that the allegations indeed happen.
Sen. Miriam Santiago can go ballistic all she wants, but that won’t change the perception that somebody entrusted to have the authority and integrity to dispense justice in this country fairly and lawfully is the same one that has been violating it and making a mockery of justice itself.
Unfortunately, the people are not the ones handing down the verdict, but the senator-jurors. We just hope that they will rise up to the occasion and make us proud of the legacy this batch of public servants will be leaving behind.
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