The Public Awaits. No Show.

Reality check.  2:45 pm.  23 May 2012.  Wednesday.

Our wait for naught.  

No Impeached Philippine Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona in the Impeachment Court today.  He is confined in an ICU in the Medical City hospital in Pasig City.  His defense counsel could not determine the exact date as to when he can go back to the witness stand.  As such, the Impeachment Court's presiding officer Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile was quite liberal in ordering the defense to finish their presentation of evidence on Friday, 25 May 2012.  Opening and closing arguments of the defense and prosecution are scheduled on Monday, 28 May 2012.  The court is expected to make a decision on the case either on Monday or Tuesday next week.

The public awaits!

A commendation is in order.

On a personal note, I wish to commend Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile for being sharp on his wits.  I wonder what could have happened if the Senate President is not fast or sharp enough in ordering for the closure of the whole Senate building immediately after the Chief Justice walked out of the witness stand without a formal discharge yesterday?  We might not have seen the impeachment case respondent back in the Senate session hall.  The entire scenario for today would have been much different and worse...

So close, but not quite…

It's like reading a bad novel and you are now on the denouement where the plot starts to unravel before the end.  You would wonder how you got there at all.  Just the same, you are already at that point and suddenly… everything is delayed!

Well, at least I have time to ponder on some questions.  For instance, right after the Senate brouhaha, why did the Chief Justice go to the Medical City in Pasig City and bypassed Makati Medical in Makati City and St. Luke's Hospital in Taguig City  which are much nearer to the Senate if his medical condition is urgent?

Haven't I seen all of this before?  Can you name any high ranking official who has been brought to the hospital for treatment of medical conditions in order to evade arrest, inquiry, or trial cross-examination?  Let me think.  Isn't there a former governor, former national security adviser, former cabinet agriculture undersecretary, former military major general, even a former president?  Have to check facts…

Is there sincerity in a waiver with conditions?  Is that a testimony or grandstanding?  One law states that you have to declare all your assets while another law states absolute secrecy of dollar accounts.  Are they contradictory?  Will the Chief Justice be back in the witness stand?  Oh, so many questions to ponder!

We are still waiting for the TRUTH.

Philippine Impeachment Court Drama

Reality check.  Manila.  5:30 pm.  22 May 2012.

Senate Building Lockdown.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, the presiding officer of the Impeachment Court,  ordered the closure of the whole Senate building.  Chief Justice Renato Corona, the respondent,  unexpectedly walked out after he has given his opening statement in front of the Impeachment Court.  He is not yet discharged by the court as a witness but hurried out of  the Senate session hall.  All doors, entrances, and exits were closed down.  As of this writing, it has been more than 45 minutes now and the impeachment respondent is still out of the session hall.  The court and us Filipinos watching are still waiting!!!

Walk-out.  Contemptuous?

Impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona was given all the leeway by the Impeachment Court in his more than 3-hour opening statement, he responded with a discourteous walk-out.  As an ordinary citizen watching this seemingly dramatic events unfolding, IMHO isn't this cowardice?

If the respondent is sincere in all of his claims, he should have faced cross-examination.  He is the highest official of the courts, and he knows the proper decorum in trials.  As such, he knows that such an act, walking out while on the witness stand, is discourteous and reprehensible.  He should boldly face his accusers and answer every question in cross-examination.

Drama and dramatics?

In his more than 3-hour speech, Chief Justice Renato Corona had several times paused and appeared emotional.  He appeared to be teary-eyed while recounting some of the hardships he and his family has suffered in the past months while the impeachment trial in on-going.  He also glanced with seeming contempt several times at the prosecution panel while asserting his innocence of the charges made against him.

The Chief Justice has waived his rights and allowed his bank accounts including the controversial  dollar accounts be opened for scrutiny.  He however, would do so if the 188 congressmen who impeached him in the Lower House and one senator, Franklin Drilon, would also sign the same waiver.

Sugar level went up or down?  There's a huge commotion and we do not know whether his diabetes fired up.  Chief Justice Renato Corona is now shown on TV on a wheelchair being wheeled in to the Senate's clinic.

Continuing saga…

We the Filipinos are eagerly waiting on how this impeachment trial will end.  What matters most for me is that the TRUTH should prevail.  We want to know the truth to the dollar accounts, properties, and  machinations inside the Supreme Court.  

Please spare us of the drama and dramatics.  We have enough of that from daytime soaps and primetime telenovelas.  Speak the truth, please.

UPDATE as of 6:15 pm.  Chief Justice Renato Corona went back to the session hall on a wheel chair.  It was said that he became hypoglycemic even minutes before the end of his long speech / testimony.  The Presiding Officer Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile made it clear that the Senate will not be subjected to such insult or humiliation.  The hearing will resume tomorrow afternoon.  If the Chief Justice will not want to be cross-examined then all of  his testimonies will be stricken out and that the judges will decide on the case based only on the evidences presented on the court.  We will soon see...