Posted by geemiz | Posted in Trivias & Biographies | Posted on 31-05-2012
Tags: Philippine Politics
What Teddy Boy Locsin Jr. says about the verdict on the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona.
TEDITORIAL
THE WORLD TONIGHT
By Teddy Locsin Jr.
29 May 2012
The Answer Is No
…Today was not the day of decision. But the day the decision would be announced.
Like in a bicameral conference committee, for all the haste of this impeachment, it must have been discussed before it was filed.
The decision of the Senate Impeachment Court, making up a law as the trial went along, and then convicting for it, is the bill of attainder of which Enrile warned.
This was not impeachment as a political process but a political assassination, masquerading as a judicial procedure.
An impeachment aspires to judicial procedure, ever mindful of judicial rules, above all respectful of due process that no citizen can be denied however high or low.
That is why the senators wear the costumes of judges. To look like judges.
But this was not a trial but a long execution carried out by the Legislature at Executive behest.
The grounds for the Chief Justice’s impeachment were culpable violation of the Constitution and Betrayal of the Public Trust.
Culpable means blameworthy. That excludes unintentional wrong. (I was very good at Latin).
In this case, the act was not even wrong. The BIR says no taxpayer ever declared dollar deposits.
Other grounds (of impeachment): treason, bribery, graft and corruption.
The grounds differ. But all share a necessary quality. A, in must be of equal gravity. And B, so obviously wrong, note, so obviously wrong as to threaten the order of political society, making it pestilent and perilous for the perpetrator to stay in power.
Now, of what was the Chief Justice accused that made him pestilent and his tenure perilous? It is the Chief Justice’s accusers in the House, in the Palace, in the Senate and in the media who threaten democracy and the rule of law and the order of political society.
The very allegations of culpable violation and betrayal of the public trust must already show what they did not in this case: a clear threat to the social order equal to treason. Enrile made it clear: the Chief Justice was not charged with ill-gotten wealth, only of failing to declare all of his presumably honestly-earned money.
Betrayal of the public trust does not mean “I don’t trust you, Honey,” like a politician’s wife says when she catches him in bed with someone else.
The constitution has a special definition. Betrayal of public trust is such gross irresponsibility, such brazen lack of integrity, such repeated disloyalty to duty, such heedless inefficiency, and laziness in the public service, such glaring injustice and extravagant living as to pose a threat to the good order of society.
No real, let alone legal proof showed any of that. Such proof, as the prosecution attempted, did not approach the standard of clear and convincing evidence for conviction. The Chief Justice was accused of Culpable Violation of the Constitution. But in what regard? How culpable? What was the act or omission and how was it wrong? Can that be wrong which everyone does under a law, and only one is accused of it?
Signing the waiver acquitted the Chief Justice. And put all his accusers on trial.
The Chief Justice did not conceal his money. It is not concealment when the law itself shields the money.
The Senators lambasted him for that. But went along with the TRO. Their secrets had to be shielded. But his could not be.
They could convict him for hiding what they can keep hiding after all.
Then the Chief Justice did the unforgivable. He waived the secrecy of his dollar deposits. Now, the Senators are expected to declare their deposits also.
Corona was dead. He was expected to lie down and die alone, not take the Senators with him.
In the end, did the Chief Justice mis-declare all that he owned as public officers are required to report?
But the remedy for mis-declaration is self-correction, not impeachment as we shall see when a friend of the president is finally caught.
Indeed, impeachment is too grave a remedy. A reckless impeachment undermines the independence of the judiciary, as it can weaken the energy of the presidency.
What the Senate did today will decide whether ours shall henceforth be a government of laws and of separated powers or a government of whimsy or one-gang rule. Whether ours shall be a government of limited powers or of powers as far as a president’s ambition will go.
Now, judicial decisions will change with time. Political actions will harden with expedient repetition. And this is a government of expediency galore.
It all came down to the question: Can the Chief Justice be impeached for his interpretation of the law that his accusers completely agree with by not signing their waivers. Now, that is hypocrisy and a violation of the equal protection of the law.
I therefore submit:
The answer is No.
Yet the Senate said Yes.
But I Told You So.
Did You Know That:
Teddy Locsin Jr. is tha famous speech writer of late Pres. Cory Aquino. He is the man behind the outstanding speech of Pres. Cory Aquino delivered before the US Congress.
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Hi Teddyboy,
Greetings in peace, joy and love!
On behalf of my family, friends and admirers, allow me to convey to you my heartfelt appreciation and gratitude for being the mouthpiece and “voice box” of the silent majority who share your passion for the rule of law, equality in the three branches of government, and contempt for this emerging dictatorship and “whimsy gang-rule” which has been so brazenly inflicted on CJ Corona and the nation. We are your prayer warriors in our common fight and advocacy for justice and democracy.
God bless and Mabuhay!
i like then…i even like you now…you were my favorite speechwriter of then Pres. C. Aquino.
i mean i like you then…i even like you now…you were my favorite speechwriter of then Pres. C Aquino.
when everybody else clings to the herd’s vote for all reasons, selfish & cowering, to protect & preserve party favors & positions, the search for the truth & the right becomes insignificant & worthless… thank you for fearless independent minds like yourself…
NO COMMENT ! ! !
NO THANK yOU ! !
i agree to every word you write, please publish this to the Inquirer and all newspapers, so the whole world may know. i salute the brilliancy , intelligence, and courage of, MERIAM DEFENSOR SANTIAGO, JOKER ARROYO, AND BONGBONG MARCOS, they are the only 3 senators i believe who will fight for truth, no matter what. Shame to all prosecutors and the judge senators who voted for the conviction, makonsensya sana sila at makarma. next impeachment sa lahat ng hindi nagsign ng waiver.
I would prefer Congressman Teddyboy Locsin for the position of SC Chief Justice miles more than any one of the penoy’s nominations or chosen attack dogs.
sobrang mga plastic mga senator-judges who gang-ruled the proceeding. lutong macao naman talaga ito eh..bakit pa pinalawig when right before the impeachment started, they’d publicly judged CJ Corona guilty as charged. mga corrupt din naman iyan at may mga dummies pa for their assets/properties. magpakatotoo kayo. itong si penoy wala na talagang ginawa kundi ang habulin ang mga kawatan kuno ng past admin…hehe huwag kang hipokrito kasi until now corruption still reigns in your administration..
The small more educated (middle and upper classes) Filipinos are uneasy with the slow cultural and political evolution amongst Filipinos; the oligarchs would rather the masses remain stunted to make choosing the presidency easier – a more issue oriented election vis avis an issue centered one would be detrimental; the intelligentsia are just too fucking lazy to earn a real living and would rather stir up naive students into the streets, who in turn heat up the urban masa. For as long as we remain in this funk, there will be no real justice, no real democracy. Political dynasties and warlords will remain the political powers; and the oligarchs will remain the neutralizers. My point, we toil daily to keep our households afloat, keep the kids in school, and hopefully set aside enough to survive our old age. Human evolution took millions of years to develop. Let us just remain hopeful that we move forward. But as our population doubles every 10 years, we will probably create our own armageddon, much like the dinosaurs.
Unless of course, everyone is willing to put an end to this melodrama and put a benevolent and strong man at the helm. But alas, we’re too lazy to do that.
The problem of CJ R. Corona’s impeachment is, it turns to be a popularity contest wherein politician (who says guilty) and artista, they posseses so many things in common (plastic, multiple presonality, etc. etc.)….. kaya karamihan sa mga follower nila (including the present administration) blindly favored and nodded to whatevever they say…. ang masakit sila (blind followers) yong pabigat ng lipunan.
Sir: This is the first truth I have read concerning the Corona kangaroo court that I had the misfortune to see on ANC. I think the president”s parents are turning over in their graves over the miscarriage of justice that took place at the hands of their son.
glad that we are always on the same side of issues. you will always be my favorite opinion writer, with TODAY as the best paper ever to come out in this part of the world. present-day mst is a mongrel. gone were the days when i was a proud and brand-conscious reader of today.