Pangan: Some lessons learned

Sunday, February 5, 2012

MUCH has been commented on and written about the ongoing impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Lawyers and laymen alike must have learned lessons from it, if not on trial techniques, but of the impact of the presentations of the prosecution and the defense.

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Now on its third week, there is yet no showing when the litigious proceedings will decisively end on this first-ever trial of a top magistrate who, ironically, should be the one presiding over a full-blown inquisitorial exercise, but due to the built-in safeguards of the Constitution, he is the one put on the spot, his dealings, past and near-past scrutinized, including his family members, his assets and earnings cross-checked with his earning capacity and potentials and his credibility and competence to hold on to the top post of the highest tribunal of land put to test.

For the past weeks, arguments were sounded by both sides of the contest, one side vigorously piling up points to buttress its charges that the Chief Justice has committed offenses warranting his removal from office and the other flank equally strongly putting up a Stonewall-like phalanx of counter pitches to weaken the armory thrown on its client.

University of the Philippines College of Law professor, a noted authority on Constitutional Law thus wrote: "the purpose of this impeachment is not to send Corona to jail or forfeit unexplained or ill-gotten wealth; it is to determine whether (or not) the representatives of the people believe that he should be removed from office because he has betrayed public trust or culpably violated the Constitution..."

No matter how hard the prosecution panel tries to assuage the waiting and sometimes bored public about the length of the trial process, it seems, from the looks of things, it may last even beyond six months due to interminable legal ruses of every imaginable objections from the defense side and intermittent interpellations and clarificatory questioning by, and from, the senator judges. And to think the prosecution promises to present some 100 witnesses. Whew!

As in any ordinary criminal or civil proceedings in regular courts, the current impeachment trial may take much of the time of the Senate which has to take care of legislation in its calendar.

History, as it is, is made every day as the trial plods on and the characters in this play will all have their niches in the country's legal annals. Of course, we all hope, as the trial ends some time, it would be for the best interests of the country and its inhabitants.

--oo0oo--

Buried in the news, particularly those concerning Corona's historic trial, is the report that the Independent Review Committee headed by former Budget Secretary Benjamin E. Diokno, had its first meeting last Monday, January 30 and which aims to scrutinize the financial statements of six oil companies and ferret out the truth if these country's top oil companies have colluded with each other to arrive at overpriced rates in their gas pumps nationwide.

The ordinary and beleaguered consumer stands to benefit from this inquiry, if done in earnest and concluded swiftly with positive results aimed at rationalizing price hikes which come too close and often, putting the burden on consumers, households and daily wage earners. The domino effect of persistent oil price hikes does substantial harm on the ordinary man's financial situation. It is thus about time, the Department of Energy headed by Secretary Jose Rene D. Almendras did some whipping on the industry's giant players and made them feel for the poor, hard working consumers.

--oo0oo--

Like the others belonging to the lower rung of the financial ladder, I have apprehensions on the list of beneficiaries of the ambitious but under-researched and under-studied Conditional Cash Transfer program of the national government. As recent disclosures show, not all in the list deserve the measly P1,400 plus allowance ideally given to marginalized sector: some are earning regular income, others have businesses and woe, some even have OFWs regularly sending remittances. Whoever prepared, substantiated and approved the list of so-called beneficiaries should be interrogated and should be promptly prosecuted if found guilty and thrown into jail. 

Who could blame me then, and others, for being pessimistic over the implementation of this cash-heavy program? The Senate or any relevant office of the government should immediately conduct the inquiry in order to rectify the blunders of this huge undertaking before it goes into the books as another monumental error similar to one past administration's Masagana 99 fiasco.

--oo0oo--

I'd like to thank the personnel of Comity Consultancy Manpower Corporation, a Manila-based recruitment agency, who conducted bio data renew and selection of slaughtermen, mechanics, auto denters and auto spray painters and other skills for deployment to Australia: President -Capt. Walfrido Rivas, Jr., International Marketing Director Darryl Ashe and recruitment staff led by Dolly Mamangon, Mark Anthony Castro and Glenn Mirasol. The two-day activity by this agency will greatly help the skilled workers from Mabalacat.

Regarding the need for slaughtermen, there would be another selection to be done by YWA Human Resource Corporation at the Mother Earth compound at Barangay Duquit on February 13 up to the 18th. Applicants for this position are encouraged to come to Peso Marina, Dau for processing.