Silence is golden

I HOPE news reports are true that Iggy’s remains will be brought to this province, particularly in his district. Many of those who want to view him for the last time but who can’t afford going to Manila for that purpose will be thankful that they can personally bid him farewell. For sure, his family will make the proper announcement once they have decided to bring him here before interring him in his final resting place.

Again, my heartfelt condolences to the family he left behind.

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If Leonardia were a queen, then Familairan and company are all the “queen’s loyal opposition”. The Galeno Construction vouchers and checks exposed by Donard Nojas should have fired up Familiaran and his group into action, as Nojas provided them with another ammunition, the most damming so far, in the long and sordid corruption record of the Leonardia administration. Although, on second thought, their paralysis in the face of Nojas’ expose may not be surprising. After all, there were two vouchers, amounting to hundreds of thousands pesos, issued to the Sanggunian. If indeed, this amount was divided equally, then who is to complain?

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Those issued to Leonardia are in gargantuan amounts. One voucher alone is in a cool million. Yet, I have not heard his Honor issue even a lame denial that he had pocketed the amount.

Maybe, Bing believes that silence is golden. This time, however, the adage is not just simple words. There’s really gold in silence.

That Nojas’ expose was met with strong silence speaks in clear and resonant words: GUILTY!

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We said in a previous column and in reaction to Leonardia’s pompous claim that his tax measure was motivated by his good intentions, that the road to hell is also paved with good intentions. The only difference is that the hell will befall on the business community rather than on him.

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The prosecution continues to get a beating from the members of the impeachment court in addition to its inability to match the trial skills of defense lawyer Serafin Cuevas. What is even more pronounced is the fact that while the prosecution has a battery of lawyers to take care of every charge in the articles of Impeachment, Cuevas single handedly cross swords with all of them and always comes out winner at the exchange, making the prosecution look like freshmen in the courtroom.

The prosecution’s latest gaffe, which accents its drive to convict Corona through trial by publicity, was when it presented to the impeachment court a list of Corona’s 21 properties. Senator Ralph Recto called the prosecution’s attention to their oft-repeated claim over the media that Corona has 45 properties to which the prosecution can only lamely deny that it was not the one who released to the media the claim of Corona’s 45 properties. The senator-judges were aghast at the denial, insisting that the prosecution regaled the media of Corona’s alleged 45 properties which it strongly hinted were ill-gotten.

One senator-judge angrily accused the prosecution of trying to win its case in the media rather than in the Impeachment Court.

Again, the prosecution made much of the alleged erroneous declaration of Corona’s properties in his sala. When Enrile inquired whether perjury, which the prosecution tries to pin on Corona, is an impeachable offense, the prosecution lawyer can only stare blankly. The prosecution is clearly bungling its case against the SC Chief Justice I will not be surprised if, notwithstanding the Aquino administration is obsession to impeach him, Corona is acquitted by the Impeachment Court.