Impeachment trial ‘live’ at SP session hall
Wednesday, 18 January 2012 00:00
THE session hall of the Misamis Oriental provincial board has been turned into a place where people can come to monitor the live telecast of the ongoing impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona. Misamis Oriental Vice Gov. Norris Babiera had a widescreen installed at the Sangguniang Panlalawigan hall. He then called on citizens to monitor and be witnesses to the historic impeachment trial at the Senate. He said local officials, government employees and plain citizens can come and freely watch the proceedings at the impeachment court there.
Provicial board member Jesus Jardin joined Babiera in his call for citizens to closely watch Corona's trial. "We have to make sure that the rule of law would be followed. Everyone must witness this important event in our history." The ongoing impeachment trial has generated mixed reactions across the country. In South Cotabato, for instance, local officials conceded that the process is much needed to help cleanse the country's judiciary.
South Cotabato Rep. Daisy Avance-Fuentes said she is so far satisfied with the progress of the impeachment trial, especially the performance of the House's prosecution team. "So far, so good. I think they're really prepared to prosecute Chief Justice Corona and I'm convinced that they have enough evidence on hand to win the cases," she said. Fuentes lauded the handling of the first day of trial by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile as it showed that the Senate is really out to make sure that the process will go on smoothly and in a more "disciplined manner." She said it now appears that the impeachment trial will be completed as scheduled in the next two months.
"That's how we wanted it. We don't want the trial to end abruptly and extend again to streets," she said. For his part, South Cotabato Gov. Arthur Pingoy Jr. hopes that the senator-judges would handle and decide on the case based on the constitutional process and would not merit only on political aspects. "I hope this impeachment will eventually bring out something positive, especially in terms of the delivery of government services," Pingoy said. Meantime, South Cotabato Vice Gov. Elmo Tolosa viewed the impeachment trial as a necessary cleansing process for the government but he cited that it also appears as an "unwanted attack" on the independence of the judiciary.
"We should all observe, monitor and learn from this experience," Tolosa said. Board Member Cecil Diel, who is a lawyer, said the impeachment trial offers the Filipinos an alternative to check the excesses of the Supreme Court, among others. "There is no other way to check the Supreme Court's excesses but through impeachment. Through this, we will be able to thresh out all issues involved and eventually prove whether they're true or not," she said. WITH REPORTS FROM PNA
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