Chief Justice’s credibility crossroad
By CHITO DELA TORRE
May 25,
2012
Many are either worried or excited just about how the impeachment of
Philippine chief justice Renato C. Corona will turn out within this
incoming week at which the Senate Impeachment Court is resolved to
make its final judgment, final decision, or final verdict. Some,
though, are no longer interested to know the results. For few others,
they have already made their own verdict. The most worrisome of the
predicted results is a verdict of acquittal. As of this writing,
though, there’s no clear official and final position taken by the
senator-judges. The nation cannot even conjecture what the uncertain
“6 senator-judges”, who are thought of to be hiding under their togas
the so-called “sway votes”, will take at the end of the day. To many
observers, the upcoming senatorial elections (though yet on May 13,
2013) serve as a barometer watched on by these “uncertain” judges.
Let me share with you here some of the reactions to my propositions in
this column last Thursday (May 24) which referred much to the infamous
discourteous walkout of Corona from his impeachment trial sans leave
of court (QN: ‘I will join the NPA, if Corona’s May 22 statements will
be believed by the SIC’).
KellyGuy emailed me his honest thoughts:
“I had been avidly watching the impeachment proceedings. (For many of
the 41 sessions) To be honest... I also noted that Senator Enrile was
more than lenient (i.e allowed court rules to be ignored) with Supreme
Court Justice C. J. Corona. Having said that, being the highest
ranking Judge in the country, CJ made a mockery of the Court while
vehemently thumbing his nose at not only Enrile, the attending Judge
Senators but, the entire Impeachment process. He should have known
that he was only there to testify on articles 2.2 and 2.3 of initial
charges. His long dissertation about his meager lifestyle and how he
constantly sacrificed to save money was the reason he was able to
afford multiple properties, just did not pass the common sensibility
test. By doing so, he degenerated his own personal integrity and
credibility. I could go on about his conduct and testimony but it
would be pointless. His actions on the stand and subsequently
excusing himself / exiting without being discharged from the
impeachment proceedings has vividly demonstrated that he (CJ) does not
support the justice system he was tasked to lead. His gross
misconduct during and after his testimony should be grounds for
immediate removal from his appointed position as THE Supreme Court
Head Justice. Even if the release of any and all SALN supporting
documents could somehow prove his innocence, his conduct was such that
he should not be permitted to continue as THE Supreme Court Justice.
The misconduct was so grave that his eligibility for retirement should
also be revoked. {His attempt at acting...to cover his gross error in
judgement by walking out failed miserably! Hopefully the Philippine
movie industry does not attempt to make him the lead actor in ANY
movie.} Additionally... if you’re ill... you show very visible body
language signs of an illness. The only illness I saw was a minor
stress that he experienced which arose from his very own personal
failure. The please sign with me the waiver / release of SALN and
supporting documents was just one more demonstration of extreme
incompetence. Even a Freshman Congress person knows that any waiver
can only be signed by the SOLE person wishing to release that
information.
“I could continue to mention all of the things CJ Corona did WRONG
but, why waste my precious time!?? The man proved his incompetence
live on TV for all to see. The bottom line... CJ is not fit to be a
Judge, Atty., Brgy. Chair or a mere Brgy. Tanod. The sooner he is
removed for incompetence the better for all of us. I seem to recall
that one of our SC Justices was removed for seeing dwarfs... CJ Corona
has reached the same credibility crossroad. Let us hope that wiser
people come to the same conclusion and no only accept his resignation
but, ensure that he does not qualify for a retirement.”
Others may even have been thinking ahead of my propositions.
Francis, a highly respectable government servant, chimed in, thus:
“Idol Chito: I'm with you on this...count on me if you organize a
group. I enjoyed reading your article. MABUHAY KA!”
Pastor Guil Gacutan, meanwhile, sent in this message: “God’s word for
today, Matthew 24:35: Christ says, Heaven and Earth shall pass away
but my words shall never pass away. Yes, this universe and the
planets (the second heaven) will come to an end.” Guil has reminded
QN readers and my FaceBook followers in another message: “The purpose
of our lives is not just to establish a temporal relationship here on
earth but everlasting relationship with the Almighty God in heaven
through genuine faith in Christ”.
May God bless us all today and always. May God enlighten the chief
justice, the associate justices, the administrator and all other
officials and employees of the Philippine Supreme Court, and all those
who insist in glorifying and exalting sinful top government
officials. Say, “Amen, Amen!”
+ + + + + + + + + +
Kudos to PNP! – Congratulations to the joint elements of Samar Police
Provincial Office and Gandara (Samar) Police Station for successfully
collaring last May 18 at past 9 a.m. the top number 29 in the list of
most wanted persons in Eastern Visayas (Region 8). Arrested was Noli
Mabahin Fornillos, 29, of barrio Pasigay, Calbiga, Samar. He was
arrested at Lot 21, Block 13, Village Park, Barangay Langkaan 1,
Dasmarińas City, Cavite. He carried a P90,000 reward on his head. The
nabbing officers were led by police chief inspector Marben Manaog
Ordonia and Gandara, Samar town police inspector Fritz Bioco Blanco of
Gandara police station under the direct supervision of police senior
superintendent Eusebio Adamero Mejos. The arrest was in pursuance of
an arrest warrant issued by regional trial court (branch 33, in
Calbiga, Samar) judge Carmencita Cuares. Fornillos was eventually
detained at Samar PPO.
Just a by the way, what happened to the reward? Did the arresting
policemen get it? The Filipino public of this republican government
deserves to know.
+ + + + + + + + + +
“The Marxist philosophy of dialectical materialism has two outstanding
characteristics. One is its class nature: it openly avows that
dialectical materialism is in the service of the proletariat. The
other is its practicality: it emphasizes the dependence of theory on
practice, emphasizes that theory is based on practice and in turn
serves practice. The truth of any knowledge or theory is determined
not by subjective feelings, but by objective results in social
practice. Only social practice can be the criterion of truth. The
standpoint of practice is the primary and basic standpoint in the
dialectical materialist theory of knowledge.” – Mao Tse Tung (Note:
‘See Karl Marx, "Theses on Feuerbach". Karl Marx and Frederick Engels,
Selected Works, in two volumes, Eng. ed., FLPH, Moscow, 1958, Vol.,
Vol. II, p. 403, and V. I. Lenin, Materialism and Empirio-Criticism,
ring. ed., FLPH, Moscow, 1952, pp. 136-4.’)
