In a TV interview, Sen. Francis Escudero said it is the presentation of witnesses and evidence, not public opinion, which should decide the outcome of the impeachment trial of Corona.
Even Sen. Francis Pangilinan, who had earlier asked Corona to inhibit on cases involving Gloria Arroyo, also said that the quality evidence will be the determining factor in his decision.
Of course, we don’t have to believe these senators. In fact, to enjoy the Corona impeachment trial, we would have to learn not to take them too seriously and make sure to watch the live coverage with an ample dose of sense of humor.
Evidence would be the least of the senators’ consideration in deciding whether to convict or acquit Corona.
The prosecution needs 16 (two- thirds of 23 senators) votes to convict Corona, who needs only eight votes to block the conviction.
Let’s do a head count.
As of now, the only vote that Corona can be sure of is by Sen. Joker Arroyo.
There’s a high possibility that Sen. Ferdinand “Bong bong” Marcos, Jr. would vote to acquit Corona. He is not running for re-election next year. He would be able to recover from whatever backlash is expected from the anti-Arroyo, anti-Corona mob by 2016 when he will either be running for re-election or make a presidential bid.
Among those that Malacañang can depend on to convict Corona are eight senators: Franklin Drilon, Pangilinan, Ralph Recto, Panfilo Lacson,Sergio Osmeña III, Teofisto Guingona, III., Aquilino Pimentel III, and Antonio Trillanes IV.
Thirteen senators are “question marks” . They are Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile who has strong influence on Gregorio Honasan, Jinggoy Estrada, and Tito Sotto; the Nacionalista Party bloc – Manny Villar, Pia Cayetano, and Alan Cayetano; Edgardo Angara and Loren Legarda.
Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr and Lito Lapid belong to Arroyo’s Lakas Party but these two don’t have strong convictions on issues. With the right incentives, the two can be convinced to follow Manuel L. Quezon’s line of ending their loyalty to their party and put the country’s interest first.
The question many ask about Miriam Santiago is, “Will Aquino’s support in her election to the International Criminal Court” make her vote for the conviction of Corona.
Escudero is an ally of Aquino but he supported Jejomar Binay for vice president. The Corona impeachment is seen as an initiative of “The Firm” where former Arroyo Defense Secretary Avelino “Nonong” Cruz belongs.
Cruz is identified with the camp of Transportation and Communication Secretary Mar Roxas, who lost to Binay in the vice presidential race last election. (Roxas has a pending protest against Binay’s election.)
There are also talks that Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, formerly of The Firm, would be named chief justice if Corona is convicted. It’s easy to imagine that Escudero would not fancy having someone identified with Roxas camp replace Corona.
The Carpio factor, on the other hand, could persuade Angara, who is sympathetic to Arroyo, to vote for the conviction of Corona. Angara and Carpio both to the Sigma Rho fraternity of the University of the Philippines College. So is Enrile.
They say that fraternity brods are closer than real brothers.
Political kingmaker Manuel Zamora, who supported Villar’s presidential in the last election, is also a Sigma Rho. Manny Zamora, whose brother Buddy is close to Roxas, might be persuaded to use his influence on Villar and the two Cayetanos to vote to oust Corona.
That is if Corona does not resign with all the dirt being dug up against him and his wife.
Ang opinion ko, ang siguradong mag aacquit kay Corona ay apat (4) lang. Sina Joker, Marcos, Enrile and Honasan.
Si Jinggoy mag convict at galit yan sa mga Arroyo. Si Sotto naman learned his lesson last time na hwag babangga sa agos ng public opinion. Si Inday Miriam, dunot ang style nyan na kung sino ang nasa poder dun sya.
Yung ibang question marks, might go with the public sentiments and convict Corona. Sa totoo lang, gusto kong bumoto ng acquittal si Legarda at mag sasayaw sa session hall na parang si Tessie Oreta noon.
Opinyon ko si Joker lang ang mag-aacquit kay Corona. Enrile’s latest salvos were indication that he is Pnoy’s!
Bongbong will play safe for future ambitions, Miriam already got her ‘promotion’ via this leadership’s initiative. Si Chiz, subukan nyang pumanig kay Corona, tapos ang kanyang ambition this early. The rest, lalaro sila sa publiko for their own selfish interests, even Manny Villar and his group, same with mag-kaibigan Ed and LL.
The Firm, The Firm! It absolutely knows how to play the game!
Sana hindi mag-resign si Corona para masaya!
In a TV interview, Sen. Francis Escudero said it is the presentation of witnesses and evidence, not public opinion, which should decide the outcome of the impeachment trial of Corona.
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Ala e, si Chiz ay nawawala, naiiwan sa pansitan o kunwari-kunwari lang! Etsos ka, Chiz. Kapatid ka na ni Noted Kiko!
We have to wish, ma “wash-out” o matapos na itong “koronang tinik ” na issue, para maka-usad na sa iba’t iba pang paglilinis, o pagtutuwid, sa gobyerno na talagang, nawala sa porma, dahil sa halos 10-taon na pagsasamantala sa kanilang mga katungkulan na inupuan at inipit ng husto. Dapat ito, ang titigan o isipin ng mga Huradong Senador…Tapusin na ang dapat tapusin, na bumabalakid sa pagtutuwid ng landas, ni Pang. PNoy. Alam naman nila iyon, BALAKID or KORONANG TINIK !..Kung may pagtutuwid sa Executive Level o Palasyo, dapat din, mayroon din sa SC at iba pang ahensya ng gobyerno ( DND, ok na yata ). Di lamang iisang ibedinsya ang naglalabasan, masyadong marami, at syempre marurunong na Abogado(s) ang nakikinabang sa pagtatangol sa kanila…Masyadong mapagsamantala at katulad sa isang “bango-ngot”, ang nakaraang mahigit na 9-na taon, ng GMA admin ( mayroon ding mga nagawang pabor sa bayan o Juan de La Cruz, ngunit, halos, 85%-to-95%, ay naging pabor sa kanilang panig-mga-bulsa,mga 5%-10% lamang yata, ang napunta ki ginoong Juan.. etc..)..Ilagay o itama ng husto ang SC, lalo na CJ, yuong makaka-pagbalanse ng hustisya..Huwag ilagay ang CJ na pumapabor sa iisang Tao, o iilang grupo, dapat pabor sa sambayanang Pilipino..GOD BLESS the Impeachment-case-protocols in the House of Senate !..This is a big challenge to the judging Senators ( of, being self-serve ? or of being patriotic, for Hope and betterment of the nation ?..peoples all over the world are watching, and the 2013-election will Judge them, too..)
joker at bongbong lang ang solid for corona. lito lapid will always be reminded his son, mark is still head of the philippine tourism authority, bong revilla on the other hand will look at the future. same with all the others, including jpe whose son is eyeing a senate seat. ganuon din si angara. si mirriam lalayas na lang yan for the icj.
as for carpio replacing corona, malabo yan. p noy knows the firm, di makaka porma ang mga yan. my bigger worry is baka mag ambition maging chief justice si de lima aka chocolate. hehehe.
i still think p noy will choose a better person like sereno.
Hindi na darating ang araw na ma iimpeach si Chief Justice Renato Corona dahil kusa iyan mag reresign. Katulad din iyan kay dating Ombudsman Gutierrez na matapang sa una pero ng hainan na ng impeachment ng resign. Alam niya na ng ma appoint siya ay impeachable na kaya natural na ang mga Senador ay iimpeach siya. Walang Senador na hindi boboto para siya ma impeach dahil matatakot na tandaan ng taumbayan at pag tumakbo sa halalan ay hindi iboto.
Di ako maniniwala na hindi tatakbo si Bongbong Marcos next year. Kung hindi siya tumakbo baka makalimutan na uli siya ng taumbayan. Tuloy na tuloy na ang pagpasok niya sa mataas na posisyon.
Huwag kayong pakasiguro na si Bongbong Marcos ay hindi boboto para ma impeach si Corona. Hindi iyan bobo para gumanun. May tinitingnan iyan na ebidensya. Malakas ang ebidensya kay Corona kaya iimpeach iyan ni Bongbong.
Tatakbo uli si Bongbong Marcos pagka Senador next year. Hindi iyan magpapaliban kasi iyon ang simula para sakali tumakbo paglipas ng taon pagka vice president o president.
#9 Bongbong’s term expire 2016.
There is no “higher office” available in next year’s election.
Not unless ayaw na nya maging senador, hindi sya tatakbo.
Comparing Ellen’s list to list during Dichavez/Erap’s envelope voting:
Enrile, Honasan, Santiago, and Sotto voted No.
Drilon, Legarda, and Osmena voted Yes to open the envelope.
Bong’s papa aka Mr. Agimat voted no.
The Cayetano kids’ papa voted then to open the envelope. As with Guingona and Pimentel’s daddies also voted to open.
Today, the Cayetano kids (and Villar) are the minority. I hope they take the side of the Yes without any compromise.
As for Enrile and his robin, agree ako sa observation ni Chi, Enrile does sound (siguro?) sincere in helping Aquino. Si Jinggoy i would assume is an Yes vote.
Joker and Miriam for all their comments (and Santiago’s closeness to GMA) obvious na No.
Tito Sotto, Lito Lapid, and Bong, a returning senator and other two have until 2016, so i think they will vote for No.
Bongbong has the Marcos name. Whatever he decide, some people will be blinded by that name. The irony, some voters today have not experienced living under martial law. Nalimutan na. Marcos now is like a Brand, but we should remember the type of brand it was founded on. Not just a nice sounding name.
cant wait to see corona go!
To Resign or Not to Resign (kurokuro dala ng hanging Habagat o Amihan)
Mas lamang na magresign. Bakit? Pag binulatlat na ang mga evidencia, kahit nahusgahang walang pagkakasala. Simot na ang Dangal ni CJ Corona. At kung guilty naman ,gago lang ang Colegio tatanggap na pagturuin siya ng batas. Siya at mga kamag anak niyang meron konsensiya, pang malagian na, walang hanggan uukilkilin ang isipan hanggang mga apo sa kuko tungkol sa kulapol sa kanilang pangalan.
Kailan dapat magresign? Bago magsimula ang trial. Pag nasimulan na ang trial at saka lang umatras at tumakbo maliwanag pa sa sikat ng araw GUILTY ang hatol ng sambayanan. That’s the best option for CJ Corona only in Christian Philippines which forgets and condones wrong doings in the name of biblical forgiveness and forgetfulness. Baka makalimutan pang kasuhan ng corruption, manahimik na lang, baka maging professor pa ng UST o Ateneo Institutes of Law.
Within the provisions of Philippine Laws, HINDI dapat pa arreglo ang Malakanyang. BAKIT?
Bakit nga ba hindi wasto ang arreglo ayon o labag man sa batas.
Katwiran nila giyera ito ng hudikatura laban sa ehecutivo (executive versus judicial branch of the government). Mali yata. Sa giyera walang takbuhan; sa civil war sa amerika talo ang mga maka slavery, walang resign o takbuhan. Sa Alamo tinalo ni General Sta Ana ng Mehico ang mga kano, patay sina Jim Bowie at si Davy Crocket (sina John Wayne, Richard Widmark at Alan Ladd). Parang walang halaga ang dahilan ng giyera compara sa karangalan at tapang ng naglalaban. Patay kung patay, walang takbuhan.
Pinalalabas na DUELO daw ito ni Noynoy at ni Corona; parang harapan laban ng pistola or kaya espada. Hindi seguro. Parehong kasing sobrang mag ingay. Talagang atat na atat magpadaloy ng dugo. Kaya hindi tamang duelo ito noong dalawa dahil pag naresign si CJ Corona bago ang trial parang hindi niya sinipot ang duelohan. Pag natalikuran na at humakbang bago magbarilan, o kaya ay sinimulan na ang eskrima, hindi na, huli na para tumakbo si CJ Corona. Kaya kung MISMO duelo ang trial, at nag resign si CJ Corona bago ito mag umpisa, parang niyang Inindiyan si Noynoy sa kanilang duelo. Sa mga balita sa Media at Blogs, parang pinalalabas ng mga kampi ni CJ Corona na ito ay giyera ng dalawang sangay ng gobierno at duelo ng Presidente at Chief justice. Parang bato itong ipinipokpok nila sa ulo ng manok nila.
Kung matutuloy o hindi ang impeachment trial ay siyang magbabadya, magiging sukatan ng buong mundo kung gaano kadalisay ang dangal ng pagkatao ng mga Kristiyanong Filipino. Sa giyera o duelo nakikilala ang himayhimay ng isang lahi.
Hindi sila perfecto pero tignan lang ang Amerika at Francia.
Re #11, Arvin,Chijap is correct.
Bongbong is not due for re-election next year, 2013. He was elected senator in 2010 for a six year term. He will be up for re-election in 2016 unless he aspires for a higher office.
HAAAAAYYYYY, JOKER!
About the Impeachment, I think it would be favorable for the impeachment protocols to follow, and let it go, because it will surely show to the whole world ( especially Filipinos or mixed ) Democracy, and the art or attitude of TRANSPARENCY or Honesty is very much alive in The Philippines,and having the present Pnoy admin wanted to probe and prove to all Democratic Nations, His term of Office is worthy for a vision of Hope to make a difference.. my worth of commentary or analysis..
It’s more fun in Switz…este…
It’s more fun in the Philippines!
Ay OT!
This IMFITP “copy” daw to me only shows the crab mentality of us Pinoy. Really? a 1951 ad that Switzerland no longer use?
Yes its not the most flashy or attention grabbing say “What happens in Vegas” but i think we need to give the poor folk at DOT a chance. And i for one prefer the wow philippines for now until we find a catchy one, but since the government wanted to try this out, don’t we all want to help?
Puro na lang criticism. Dyan tayo magaling.
I wonder what have you contributed to promote the PH?
#21 Iyan ang magandang nasabi dito. Lahat sana ay magtulungan ng umunlad ang pagtingin ng ibang mga lahi sa bansang Pilipinas. Maraming bumabangit ng mga salita dito na dapat ay makatulong sa marangal na pagusad ng Pilipinas. Magtulungan sana ang mga mamamayan sa ikauunlad ng bansa.
to borrow the words of a tweeter:
“blogging is more fun in the Philippines!”
puro dada, wala sa gawa.
lahat gusto huwag mag-resign si atong korona para makaladkad nang husto ang kanyang mabunying (?) pangalan.
kinakabahan tuloy ako sapagkat sa mga ebidensiyang ipinirisinta ng in public ng prosecution ay sapat na upang sumambulat nang animoy pinulbos na utot ang baho ng kabayan ni anna. dulo tuloy niyan, baka hellow angie ang gagawin ni atong.
bang! bang! bang!
bakit ganyan na la’ang ang pagkampi ni medusa marquez sa kanyang CJ?
gaano katagal na ba silang magkasama at magkaniig, este magkapalagayang loob para ipagtanggol sa halip na siya ay manahimik kung tutuusing hindi ang buong korte suprema ang sasalang sa impeachment kundi ang ILLEGALLY appointed ng reyna ng sandamakmak na katiwaliang si goyang na si CJ renato corona?
Trillanes to base decision on public opinion
By Marvin Sy (The Philippine Star) Updated January 08, 2012 12:00 AM Comments (62) View comments
MANILA, Philippines – While the members of the prosecution team for the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona have been throwing around the sordid details of his alleged ill-gotten wealth, such evidence may end up not amounting to much, at least for one senator.
Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said that the evidence presented during the trial of Corona would not be that much of a basis for his final decision but rather what an acquittal or conviction would mean for the country and what the people would think about it.
“My verdict should not be based solely on evidence as it now becomes a matter of public policy, and the over-arching policy issue in this whole impeachment episode is whether the conviction or acquittal of Chief Justice Renato Corona would be good for our country,” he said.
“To resolve this, I intend to use political acceptability as the sole criterion to evaluate the projected outcomes of either policy alternative of conviction or acquittal,” he added.
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That’s my senator! Way to go, Senator Sonny!
Senador sya ng madlang pipol!