Give it to Virgil Ligutan. Not only has he gained adulation for his outstanding work during the second day of the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, the Young Lawyers Association of Cebu and prosecution panel member has also sparked a national debate on whether number one is as good as number two.
No, silly, I am not talking about human beings but of documents, number 1 being the original and number two, the photocopy.
Before the impeachment court last Tuesday, Virgil argued, citing the Rules on Evidence, that the photocopy is as good and is entitled to as much faith, as the original. Soon people were asking if they can pay their bills with machine copies of their money or if they can travel abroad with a Xerox copy of their passport.
I do not think that the the discussions, occurring mostly on social media, are indicative of how low the level of our national consciousness has sunk. I’d rather ascribe it to our unfathomable sense of humor. As they had in the trial of Erap Estrada and later, Renato Corona, people have found in the Sara impeachment trial something to divert their attention from all the woes and the cares they have to grapple with daily.
Let them have fun.
Last Tuesday, at the lobby of the building where I work, I saw a group of workers huddled around an android phone, watching the live coverage of the trial. Monday, on my way to the gym, I overheard people arguing over who was winning between the prosecution and the defense.
They’re keeping scores, just like in boxing. Round 1, said a friend whose passion is sports and politics, went to the defense, Round 2 to the prosecution and Round 3 even.
I do not expect everyone to agree with his scorecard. Preconceived notions heavily impact our assessment, or more straight to the point, cloud our judgment, just like they do that of the men and women in purple robes whom you see on television.
Indeed, it would be a miracle if the eventual voting by the senator judges will not follow political lines. For the same reason, and considering the current configuration of the Senate, it is unthinkable that the voting will not result in acquittal, regardless of how many rounds Virgil Ligutan and his friends have won.
So why should the trial proceed, knowing that it will most likely be an exercise in futility? Because there is another trial going on, parallel to that of the Senate, where the judges are not in robes but whose verdict can be as crucial as, if not more than, that of the impeachment court.
It is the court of public opinion, a contest for the hearts and minds of the politically non-aligned rather than the hardcore partisans.
It is the fight that is worth watching and keeping score of because unlike in the Senate, the voting is more unpredictable and the judges are having fun.