Proclamation of the Verdict. After the Impeachment Trial, What's Next?

... and so the saga continues.

The 5-month long Impeachment Trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona has finally ended.  He is found GUILTY by the Impeachment Court via a vote of conviction of twenty Senator Judges.  It ended well.

The question now is, "what's next?".

We expect that Chief Justice Renato Corona is removed from office immediately and be replaced by a better, more transparent Chief Justice.  I understand that the person who will act as officer-in-charge (OIC) is the oldest, most senior associate justice.  This could be Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.  Meanwhile, a selection process will be undertaken by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) and submit their shortlist of candidates to the President.  The President in turn will appoint the newly selected Chief Justice.  How long will this take?  We do not know since this unique scenario has not been done before.  The JBC's selection and the President's appointment ordinarily takes place when a Chief Justice retires.  Therefore, for that particular scenario there are preparations undertaken since the retirement date is known.  Well, we just have to wait and see how fast or slow the government acts on this.

The more important answer however, to the question "what's next?", should be two things:

(1) the development of the cases of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, and 

(2) the "real" and "true" transparency in government starting with the waiver of all Congressmen, Senators, cabinet members and other high posts for their dollar bank deposits.

We now await!  We now want "real" and "true" change... and so the saga continues for the Filipino people.

Recording of the Proclamation of the Verdict.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile proclaims the verdict for the impeachment case of Supreme Court Chief Justice Corona.

Proclamation of Verdict for the Impeachment of Chief Justice Corona by Emohroemlab on Mixcloud

The transcript.

On Article II, 20 senators find the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, Renato C. Corona, guilty as charged, and 3 senators, not guilty.  With at least two thirds of all the members of the Senate having pronounced the respondent guilty, the Chair pursuant to Rule 21 of the Rules of Procedures on Impeachment Trials directs judgment to be entered in accordance with the judgment of the Senate as follows:

"The Senate sitting as an Impeachment Court, having tried Renato C. Corona, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, upon 3 Articles of Impeachment charged against him by the House of Representatives, by a guilty vote of 20 senators representing at least two thirds of all the members of the Senate, has found him guilty of the charge under Article II of the said Articles of Impeachment.  Now therefore he is adjudged, that Renato C. Corona, is hereby convicted of the charge against  him in Article II of the Articles of Impeachment.  So ordered."

The secretary as clerk of the Impeachment Court is directed to provide a copy of the judgment to the respondent and his counsel, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Supreme Court En Banc, the Judicial and Bar Council, and the President of the Republic of the Philippines.  So ordered.

Chief Justice Renato Corona GUILTY as Charged.

The results are in.

I was right with 3 misses.  20 over 23.  Not bad!  I made a forecast yesterday after hearing the prosecution and defense's closing arguments.  After the voting of the Senator Judges, a landmark decision has been made.  Chief Justice Renato Corona is found GUILTY as charged.  An overwhelming 20 Senator Judges voted for his conviction in Article 2 (Failed to disclose to the public his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth as required under the Constitution.) of the Impeachment Complaint.  Only 16 votes are needed to convict the respondent for his removal from office, and 8 votes to acquit him.

Below is the tally of the votes - my forecast against the ACTUAL VOTES of the Senator Judges.

Sidelights in the annals of Philippine politics.

Without a doubt, this decision will go down in Philippine history as the first successful Impeachment Trial.  I am glad that I witnessed it all!  I have been part of history so to speak, even just as a spectator.  I cannot stop looking at the results of the votes.  The votes tell so much!

First, let me tell you why I was wrong with Senator Judge Lito Lapid's vote.  He did not participate much in the trial.  He stood 2 or 3 times only for clarification during the whole trial if I correctly recalled.  Being a known high school graduate and a "senator of the masses", it's natural to surmise that he would seek help from a co-party member to discern the case.  That would be Senator Joker Arroyo of the Lakas-Kampi party.  I am glad that he said he used his "conscience" to vote.  I am glad I was wrong in this case.

Now, let me tell you why I was right with Senator Arroyo's vote.  Senator Joker Arroyo has been very transparent from the beginning.  He reiterated his "concern" in his speech giving his reason why he voted for acquittal.  He already said it from the early days of the trial.  I do not agree with him.  It looks to me that he is afraid of a phantom that's existing only in his mind.  I do not believe that "martial rule" or "dictatorship" could arise from the depose of a corrupt official even if it's through the "hurried" or "rail-roading" process that the House of Representatives has taken.

As for the other hits and misses, here they are:

Need I tell you that Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago is not running for office anymore because she is prohibited by the international criminal court where she will serve as a judge?  Therefore, she has no political ambitions (as of  this time).  In her "demeanor" during the impeachment trial, I find her inclined to vote in favor of the respondent.  I was right.  But if she will pursue for a political office here, will you still vote for her?

Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is a no brainer.  It's Aquino vs. Marcos.  Oh, forget it.  I don't need to tell you how his vote is "really" influenced by the deep-seated feud between their political clans.

Senator Tito Sotto is actually hard to decipher because he was the Majority Floor Leader.  He is busy dispensing his duties in the impeachment trial.  I  thought that he would vote for an acquittal but very glad for his vote of conviction.  I guess I am still right about the ultimate gear that shifts decisions to a more popular vote.

I hardly see Senator Villar during the proceedings of the trial.  I remembered he stood once in  the early days of the trial.  I thought he has no more political ambitions after losing the presidency to now President Noynoy Aquino.  Well, after seeing the Villar Foundation ads on TV, I should have known better.

As for Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile's vote, read my post about his foretelling queries to the defense after both panels (defense and prosecution) made their  closing arguments.  Read my blog post Culpa and Dolus.  Foretelling Queries of the Presiding Officer of the Impeachment Court.

Would you like to know how I came up with my forecast?  It's really simple.  Remember, I followed the impeachment trial from Day 1.  The answer is this.  I came up with the "very close" (LOL) spot-on forecast through a simple analysis of "political ambitions".

You be the analyst.  You be the judge.  I rest my case.