Nalzaro: PNoy should stop commenting on Corona

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

THE impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona is already being heard in the Senate acting as impeachment court. Although impeachment is administrative in nature, commentary on the matter is deemed sub judice, just like in regular courts.

The impeachment court has its own set of rules and guidelines but it also uses the rules of court, which is the “bible” of the regular courts. Considering that we now have a full-blown trial, President Noynoy Aquino III should stop issuing public statements that touch on the merits of the case or somehow affect the independence of the court.

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In several forums and media interviews, PNoy aired his views on issues pending before the court. He lambasted and criticized Corona for favoring the cases filed against former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo that reached the Supreme Court.

When the Supreme Court granted the petition filed by PS Bank not to force bank officials to divulge the foreign currency deposits of Corona, PNoy dared Corona to voluntarily disclose in public his dollar deposits.

Why did PNoy issue that challenge? He is no ordinary person. He is powerful and influential. Any word coming from him is perceived as an “order.” In order that he won’t be misinterpreted, the best thing he should do is to keep quiet. Right or wrong, people will believe in him.

PNoy’s incessant criticisms of Corona will somehow negatively affect the independence of the impeachment court. PNoy still enjoys high trust and credibility ratings and I am afraid that if the impeachment court decides either to convict or acquit Corona, it might lead to chaos because majority of the Filipinos believe in him.

PNoy has been accused of masterminding the impeachment of Corona because he thinks that the chief justice is a stumbling block to efforts to convict Arroyo. He had summoned the House leadership to a caucus the day before the Articles of Impeachment was signed by 188 House members.

Now, if he keeps on issuing statements against Corona even if the case is still undergoing trial, the more will his critics suspect that his move is personal and that he is after of Corona's head. Let the impeachment court do its mandated role. The President should only watch in the sidelines.

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Some people say that the votes of senator-judges on the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court and which prevented the impeachment court from forcing PS Bank officials to testify on Corona's foreign currency deposits already signify the outcome of the trial. The voting was 13-10 in favor of the TRO.

I beg to disagree. The issue that led to the issuance of the TRO was purely a legal matter that needed to be resolved but had nothing to do with the merits of the cases faced by Corona.

I subscribe to the explanation of Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who is a law expert, and Jinggoy Estrada, even if he is not a lawyer. Miriam said they might be accused of being lawmaker and law breaker if they won’t respect the SC decision. The ruling was based on the Foreign Currency Deposits Act.

Even Sens. Ralph Recto and Koko Pimental III, who are identified with the administration, voted in favor of the TRO. They want to respect and honor the decision of the SC to avoid a constitutional crisis. For me, it was a just and fair decision of majority of the senator-judges.

(bobby.nalzaro@yahoo.com)