Would it be proper now if we just call him plain “Attorney”?
For the past five months, I’ve been so focused on the impeachment trial that I forgot the weeds growing in my garden and they look so ugly interspersed with my blooming and healthy peanut grass. Judgment has been rendered and the Filipino people are happy that democracy still works in our country. The telenovela is over, not all are satisfied though with the ending because they are talking about the possibility of filing a petition for review before the Supreme Court. We’ve heard before the rendering of the verdict that both Prosecution and Defense would abide by the outcome of the voting. And one election lawyer even said that the verdict was incomplete because Senator Enrile, the presiding officer of the IC did not read in his closing speech the penalty for an impeached chief justice. As far as I know, “it shall not go farther than removal from public office and perpetual disqualification from public office”. He won’t be imprisoned but he could kiss public office goodbye.
Had he just resigned from office, he could have saved himself and his family the humiliation and the ordeal of leaving the Supreme Court in shame. It could have been a graceful exit and he could have endeared himself more to the people who still believe that he is innocent . But he chose to stay, holding on to the last minute. In his dramatic walkout from the Impeachment Court last Tuesday, May 22 he said in arrogance, “And now the Chief Justice of the Republic of the Philippines wishes to be excused”. He is now excused forever. Quo vadis CJ?
Let us move on and let us move forward. If there is one positive thing that we learned from all this, at least now, transparency in a public office is a must and I’d like to thank him for initiating the signing of a waiver (unconditionally this time although a bit too late to save him) but at least it triggered something that all government employees from the highest officer of the land down to the lowest barangay councilor must be compelled to sign a waiver too in case their personal assets would be questioned in the future. If you have nothing to hide, why be afraid?
Dreams And Escapes 