Congressman Tiangco: Impeachment complaint against CJ Corona was railroaded

It’s not mere hearsay anymore. A member of the House of Representatives, Congressman Tobias Tiangco confirmed what most people have long been suspecting – that there is a culture of bullying, intimidation, and bribery in Congress. The bullying it seems even comes from the House Majority Leader Neptali “Boyet” Gonzales II himself. But the Senator Judges were unimpressed by Tiangco’s revelations. Instead of outrage, the reaction was that of boredom. I find this lack of empathy for Tiangco’s indignation disturbing. It would seem that our Senators have become desensitised to dysfunctional behavior and are not moved to do anything to change it anymore. The Filipino people should be outraged.

Tiangco testified under oath during the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona that this sort of environment, the one in which tolerance for even unreasonable behavior by other members of the House who are allied with incumbent president’s political party, is very much accepted as the norm.

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Senator Jinggoy Estrada even referred to Tiangco’s testimony as “nakakaantok” or making him feel sleepy. He was bored because he already knows the kind of environment Tiangco was talking about. He even insinuated that judging by the railroading of his own father’s impeachment in 2002, it is not too far-fetched to assume that the same speedy process probably happened during the impeachment of Chief Justice Corona. The problem is, even though Senator Estrada knows that there is truth in Tiangco’s claims, he and some other Senators are resigned to that fact.

Tiangco’s testimony might have been pointless to some Senators considering they already ruled against the defense’s motion questioning the validity of the impeachment complaint, but there is no denying the fact that it did not go through the correct process. As the defense lead counsel Serafin Cuevas explained, the Chief Justice was impeached without any determination of probable cause; no evidence, no allegation to prove existence of probable cause. This means that there was indeed a violation of the Constitution. And defense witness, Tiangco, echoed the same sentiments.

Aside from Senator Estrada, Senator Francis Pangilinan was one of those who kept questioning the point of Tiangco’s testimony in the impeachment court. He was visibly annoyed that Tiangco went on and on about President Noynoy Aquino’s role in the railroading of the impeachment of Chief Justice Corona. He tried to stop his testimony perhaps because he did not want to damage PNoy’s integrity any further. Who can blame Pangilinan for coming to the aid of the President? He is after all a staunch Aquino ally and Tiangco was outright confirming the allegations that the impeachment of Corona was backed by the president’s orders and that the Congressmen were not even allowed to ask questions during the Power Point presentation outlining the hastily and badly-written articles of impeachment. It was damning, indeed. His testimony is consistent with what he said in his privilege speech right after he left the majority bloc in the House of Representatives.

“I do not want trouble with the most powerful man in the country. If the President wants GMA (former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo) jailed for her alleged sins, I am one with him. But in pursuing justice, it must be done in a manner that does not destroy our institutions and more importantly the co-equal status guaranteed bythe Constitution,” Tiangco said.

He claimed that during Monday’s 2:30 p.m. majority caucus at the House, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. only gave lawmakers two choices: sign or not sign the resolution impeaching Corona.

He said Belmonte allegedly did not give the congressmen the chance to question the resolution and read and assess the pieces of evidence against Corona.”And the worst part of it all is that no questions would be entertained,” he said.

It is such a disgrace that even with a testimony confirming what the defense has been saying all along – that Chief Justice Corona was denied due process – the Senate seems hell bent on turning a blind eye to the mockery of the Constitution and an individual’s rights. No wonder some members of the prosecution seem very relaxed. They know that most of the Senators are either allied with PNoy or see no point in following the law. No wonder Congressman Fariñas seem to have a permanent smirk on his face. Although he did not sign the impeachment complaint because as he said, it was “badly written”, he is part of the prosecution team because he is looking out for his “mates” as a show of support. The padrino system is working for them without a doubt. There is nothing special about PNoy’s “Daang Matuwid” at all.

It was evident that the defense was finding it frustrating to raise a valid point with Senators who kept missing the point. Senator Peter Cayetano argued that it seems the defense wants to make the process of impeaching a member of the Supreme Court very difficult, which is not even the case. It shouldn’t be difficult to impeach an impeachable public servant if there is a strong case against him and if the process is followed in accordance with the rules. The concept of verification is lost on Senator Cayetano because for him, the 188 signatures are already enough to satisfy the criteria of the complaint having to undergo the verification process. Never mind that those who signed did not even understand what they signed. The majority don’t seem to want to be bothered about the details anymore.

The authors of the impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Corona obviously wanted to avoid giving the signatories of the complaint a chance to think about what they were signing, which is why they wanted to gather the numbers on the day of the caucus itself. What happened in their caucus is quite contrary to what should have been if they followed what was written in the constitution. Article XI Section 3(2) states that:

“A verified complaint for impeachment may be filed by any Member of the House of Representatives or by any citizen upon a resolution of endorsement by any Member thereof, which shall be included in the Order of Business within ten session days, and referred to the proper Committee within three session days thereafter.”

Senator Joker Arroyo asked the defense why they are only bringing it up now. Isn’t it too late to question the validy of the impeachment complaint 27 days after the trial started? The defense team did try to bring it up when they asked for a pre-trial. The request was quickly dismissed and was even labelled a “small victory” by the prosecution. It was apparent that everyone was too excited to face the camera wearing their gowns.

Yes, the defense should have really insisted on questioning the validity of the impeachment procedure against Corona even before the trial started. But how could they have done it? They are involved in the mother of all conflicts of interest. The subject of the impeachment complaint is the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, seeking assistance from the Supreme Court immediately after the complaint was filed against Corona would have been seen as quite suspect. The timing of the filing of the complaint was also bad because it was a week before the Senate session was adjourned for the Christmas break. We all know of course that Filipinos prioritize their Christmas festivities before anything else. In other words, there was really no opportunity for the defense to file the motion questioning the validity of the impeachment complaint prior to the start of the trial.

You can’t blame the defense for bringing it up now though. A wrong needs to be highlighted even if its submission to record is for the benefit of the future historians who might look back to it. As what was evident during the recent session of the trial of Chief Justice Corona, the allegations of abuse by branches of government during former President, Joseph “Erap” Estrada’s time are still fresh in the minds of those who were gravely affected by it. It is still causing division among Senators themselves as evident in the verbal tussle that ensued between Senator Manny Villar and Senator Jinggoy Estrada. A wrong needs to be righted the right way. Otherwise, the victim will be haunted by it for the rest of his life.

The offense committed by Erap’s prosecutors then simply cannot go away without the proper closure. And closure can only be achieved when the wrongly offended is vindicated, which is something, it seems, that Jinggoy is trying to get.

Congressman Tobias Tiangco may have put some people in the trial to sleep mode but he has definitely cast doubts upon the credibility of the complaints and complainants. The Senator Judges’ mission, should they choose not to ignore it, is to accept Tiangco’s testimony as evidence.

[Photo courtesy PCIJ.org.]

96 Replies to “Congressman Tiangco: Impeachment complaint against CJ Corona was railroaded”

  1. Should any of the Senator-Judges be caught thinking, Noynoy will disavow any knowledge of their actions. This country will self-destruct in 5 sessions…

    Cue the Mission Impossible theme…

    1. “Should any of the Senator-Judges be caught thinking, Noynoy will disavow any knowledge of their actions.”

      As if the Fuhrer has any knowledge of anything not related to the mission he has been given by the Almighty Cojuangco-Aquino lines?

  2. This is the reason why I commented on my Facebook that while some senator-judges were ‘inantok’ by yesterday’s witness, I personally and as a private citizen find it quite revealing and indeed very interesting, even more so interesting than everything presented by the prosecution side.

    Or are our senator-judges not impressed because they may really be “used to” this kind of acts inside the halls of our Congress?

    1. Their hearts have become calloused. Like what I said in the article, they have become dessensitised to the point of not caring anymore. The country’s woes will not improve as long as our majority of ou public servants are like them. We need more people like Tiangco in government.

        1. This article is simply flawed. First, the author does not understand the concept of a hearsay comparing Tiangco to De Lima. Tiangco has personal knowledge because he is a member of Congress, De Lima’s testimony is hearsay because she does not have personal knowledge and is merely basing her opinion in Sereno’s dissenting opinion which anyone can read. So the thing the author calls the same spectacle is very different. Second PDAF is not the president’s money and because of this, if you know how many people are lining up to congressmen to ask for financial assistance, for medicine and food for people dying out there and you withhold just because you know the ABC’s of politics that you say is some form of leverage to get congressmen do whatever the president wants, your brain is nothing but twisted. Your caprice over the people’s lives? Seriously, There is no immorality about it? Third, let me quote “Because the minority in the house said no, they would want the majority to abide by their decision not to impeach Corona and if impeached derogate the articles of impeachment as flawed”. Whoever claimed Tiangco was against the impeachment in the first place? What he was against was the manner of impeaching when they were not given the chance to read everything and they were not given the chance to ask questions. Tiangco never said that the minority and not the majority should decide whether the impeachment should push through or not. It is ridiculous how one can still insist that the House of Reps has presented a case strong enough to prove anything. Is your TV broken? Haven’t you been watching the prosecution asking for leniency fishing desperately for proof just to save themselves? Really? Fake documents, undated documents, no names? That’s the best you got? I’d say read more if that’ll help!

        2. @ FelYounghusband

          Thank you for giving us the gist of JCC’s article. It saved me from going to his site.

          It’s a shame JCC is still in denial of the truth.

        3. jcc is a big waste of law education money, if he really has a law degree that wasn’t bought from recto. (try harder, mr. attorney with small “a”.)

          thanks for sharing that with us all, fel.

        4. This dud, allegedly a lawyer, should demand a full refund of his matriculation from where he took his lawyering course.

          Or that institution should disown him.

          He is an embarrassment to the profession he is claiming to be his.

        5. Anti-trosp, anti-stupid,

          I have something to add in what you said…. It is quite noticeable that people here love to discuss finer points of law from layman’s point of view, and thus they consider hearsay as plain: “one who has no personal knowledge about the incident is prevented from testifying on the incident” and thus, Sec. De Lima was testifying on hearsay when she testified on the dissenting opinions of Justices Sereno and Carpio, but Congressman Tiangco was testifying on personal knowledge of what happened during the December 12, 2011 caucus of the Senate and therefore his testimony was not hearsay.

          That is the general definition of what “hearsay” is all about.

          But there are many exceptions to the hearsay rule, one of which is this: “Business records made in the regular course of business; ‘Official records.’ Thus, the testimony of Sec. De Lima based on the official records that Justices Sereno and Carpio said in their dissenting opinions that there was an attempt of the CJ Corona group in the Supreme Court to muzzle the truth by not even allowing the dissent to be published together with the majority opinion regarding the TRO issued against the Department of Justice, was not “hearsay.”

          This is hearsay exception!

          The trolls in these blog started ganging up on me because Tobias was testifying on personal knowledge while de Lima was testifying on hearsay and I could not see the difference despite my being a lawyer. One even suggested that I asked a refund for my tuition fee from the University of the Philippines….:)

          By golly, I am not even after much after the hearsay rule. The chief message in my blog is that in both situations, there was an attempt to highlight what the minority positions than that of the majority positions. Tobias had disagreed with the position of the majority and made a “factual judgment” that there was no “evidentiary basis” to impeach CJ Corona. Sereno and Carpio disagreed also with the majority of the Supreme Court and De Lima testified on it. Yet, it was alright for the defense to demur on the position of the majority and it was not okay for De Lima to belabor on the minority position of the Supreme Court.
          One commenter in my blog had even the impudence to lecture me about the hearsay rule and that I was muted because I cannot propose any counter-argument. I don’t want to argue further with him anymore secured with the idea that he is at liberty to believe what he wants to believe if that belief can make him sleep tighter at night. 🙂

        6. jcc, anti-trosp is colleague of mine but I would like to stress that we agree to disagree on some irreconcilable views. One of which is his attacking the person and not the issue that person represents.

          I think governing a blogsite is in a smaller scale no different from governing a country.

          (1)You have Terms and Agreement that acts as the Constitution or
          Law
          (2)You have resident authors and posters that acts as lawmakers
          (3)You have resident hardstance-posters (usually they use more colorful yet intimidating figures of speech) that acts as law enforcers.
          (4)You have most “constituents” who believe in the cause. They merely echo the “lawmakers” if not add additional views from time to time
          (5)You have few dissenters who are radical with their views, oftentimes clashing with the blogsite’s “law” (authored by resident posters)

          Problem arises when they can not “contain” the dissenters. True, there are hardline “leftist/radical” type dissenters who transgress this little government of theirs and the “law enforcers” readily “arrest” and “execute” them. That is why you do not hear from most of them anymore.

          The other’s voices are “sanbitized” and “disinfected”.

          Those left with different opinions get “harrassed” into submission.

          Their Terms and Condition, their little Constitution, is subject to their interpretation only. Sometimes forebodingly similar to some extent with our current Supreme Current.

          If this is how a “country” as small as this will be governed, imagine how they a real government will work.

          The succeeding comments following will prove or disprove me. If you do not hear from me, your guess is as good as mine.

        7. This has got to be one of the lamest comments on this blogsite.

          Instead of talking about ideas and concepts, you chose to write a long commentary on the behaviour of the commenters. It’s as if the writers can control all the comments. Gees…

          Do you have any ideas at all about the impeachment trial or about our society? I thought so.

        8. @Just Saying,

          “One of which is his attacking the person and not the issue that person represents.”

          That’s what you get for conversing with a person whom the stupid call stupid.

          @Ilda,

          “Instead of talking about ideas and concepts, you chose to write a long commentary on the behaviour of the commenters. It’s as if the writers can control all the comments.”

          Look who’s talking.

        9. So, do you have any ideas or concepts you can share with us? So far, I’ve got hundreds of articles full of ideas that you still have to match.

        10. Hahahaha! This guy has the same IP address as twoface! No wonder he/she sounds like someone who has an axe to grind. 😉

          Get over it!

        11. @Ilda,

          I thought twoface and jcc are the same person because of the similarities of their styles. I’ve my reason two suspect it and I call your attention to that.

          Now, it’s getreal and twoface who could be the same person because they have the same IP address.

          And then this antiTrosp and peste!

          Jeez…

          These people are claiming they’re for civility.

          An outright dishonesty as I have been claiming and as I have been calling them.

          The defenders of Maher boy aka Joeamerica…birds of the same feather, heh?

        12. Frankly, all they do is cry foul. They have not shared any meaningful comment so far. They just try to damage the credibility of this site every chance they get.

          The fact that they are still here despite feeling “hurt” could mean it is part of their job to monitor sites that are critical of PNoy.

  3. very well said Ilda. The prosecution inclined senator-judges cannot be expected to give weight to Cong Tiangco’s testimony. They knew it all along, how the articles of impeachment was railroaded and chose to ignore what the defense has been pointing out – there is simply no basis for the complaint. It all leaves a bad taste for the mouth.

    1. @sacrosanct

      That’s true. I’m pretty sure some of the Senators were also in on it. No surprise there. You can tell from their body language that they don’t really care. Only Manny Villar cared to listen.

      1. i have been surprised by some of estradas comments recently.
        maybe he isnt getting enough limelight or has been promised something but he is starting to exhibit partiality for the prosecution

  4. Well, what goes around comes around.

    I thought Ilda you were a stickler for the Law. The impeachment court have decided on the issue of the “railroaded” impeachment complaint. It is in lawyers term “moot and academic”. It is the same banana with the “fruit of the poisonous tree” principle as well as the Stupid Dollar Account Bank Secrecy Law. You talk about the law then there it is, plain and simple.

    So why the fuss all of a sudden?

    1. You know Joe…I mean Wits, it would be worth reading my previous articles again just to prove to you that I have been making a “fuss” about the claim that the impeachment complaint was railroaded. Your Perception that I am only making a big deal out of it now is wrong. In fact, if you actually understood the point in this recent article of mine, you wouldn’t even be asking why I am making a “fuss” about it.

      The “Stupid Dollar Account Bank Secrecy Law” was written by the lawmakers who have become lawbreakers.

  5. Or this is just a futile exercise between two opposing views’ one-track mindedness (I am referring to both), that if the Law seemed to err on my side, then it is acceptable;If not, then all hell breaks lose.

    It’s the thinking that “we do not care if Law is an SOB, as long as it’s OUR SOB”.

      1. Sorry Ilda, hindi ako si Joe.

        Ang sinasabi ko kasi, pag kwinadro mo ang usapin natin, at dapat nating pagkasunduan, ang batas ang dapat nating sundin. Tama ba?

        Yun ang dahilan bakit kamo sa mga naunang usapin nuon na wala tayong magagawa

        (1)kung mag-soliloquy si Santiago kasi kapwa nya lang judge ang pwedeng sumita sa kanya

        (2)kung bakit kailangang irespeto ang di pagbukas ng dollar account kasi nga batas ito

        Mga dalawa lang ito sa karamihan. Ngayon kung may pagkakamali sa batas, may remedyo dyan. Nagdesisyon na ang Impeachment Court tungkol sa usapin ng Impeachment complaint na “defective”. Anumang susunod na usapin dito ay “moot and academic” na.

        Nasulat mo rin nuon na naniniwala ka sa pangkalahatang desisyon ng Senator Judges dahil anumang pagkiling ay maaaring masapawan ng kabuuan.

        Bakit iba naman ngayon ang pananaw mo sa usaping inilathala mo? Dahil ba ang batas naman ngayon ay pumapabor sa pananaw ng Taga-usig?

        1. Kasi mas malamang, kahit hindi ako manghuhula, maaari ko nang sabihin ang mga susunod na artikulong ilalabas ninyo kung ganyang “double standard” ang magiging panuntunan natin. Alin man sa mga ito:

          Why Supreme Court Should Intervene
          On Impeachment Court Decision – sakaling convicted si Corona

          Acquittal of Corona, Victory of the Filipino People – sakaling pawalang sala si Corona

        2. First of all, what you outlined traspired during the trial. Meanwhile what the defense was arguing happened before the trial. So obviously there was violation of the law even before the case reached the court or even before the start of the trial. There wouldn’t even be a trial if the Senators did not allow the complaints to reach the court had they recognised that the complaints were not verified. Anyway, I will still respond to your points below:

          (1)kung mag-soliloquy si Santiago kasi kapwa nya lang judge ang pwedeng sumita sa kanya

          Well according to Miriam that is part of the impeachment court rules. So?

          (2)kung bakit kailangang irespeto ang di pagbukas ng dollar account kasi nga batas ito

          The dollar secrecy law is a law. What more can I say? Why would you violate that? The impeachment court cannot overrule that.

          Nagdesisyon na ang Impeachment Court tungkol sa usapin ng Impeachment complaint na “defective”. Anumang susunod na usapin dito ay “moot and academic” na.

          Please refer to what is written in the constitution regarding abuse of power by the other branches:

          ARTICLE VIII JUDICIAL DEPARTMENT:

          Section 1:

          The judicial power shall be vested in one Supreme Court and in such lower courts as may be established by law.

          Judicial power includes the duty of the courts of justice to settle actual controversies involving rights which are legally demandable and enforceable, and to determine whether or not there has been a grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on the part of any branch or instrumentality of the Government.

          And Section 5, part 5:

          Promulgate rules concerning the protection and enforcement of constitutional rights, pleading, practice, and procedure in all courts, the admission to the practice of law, the integrated bar, and legal assistance to the under-privileged. Such rules shall provide a simplified and inexpensive procedure for the speedy disposition of cases, shall be uniform for all courts of the same grade, and shall not diminish, increase, or modify substantive rights. Rules of procedure of special courts and quasi-judicial bodies shall remain effective unless disapproved by the Supreme Court

        1. Of course I know he wasn’t Joe. The IP address says so. Just testing how Wits would react. 😉

      2. It’s a blanket generalization which includes you.

        Are you reading your comment before you post it? And reading it again after it is posted?

        1. It’s spontaneous, me typing my comments… really. I do not mean no-brainer referring to you as stupid. It’s a figure of speech.

          Sorry, no offense meant.

        2. It’s just that I do not take an obsessive, hardline fanatic, die-hard stance (wooh!!! can I be more clearer than that!)on a person.

          You see, I have total control of what I want to believe and what to reject. Nobody can shove his or her opinion on my throat. Labeling yellow or red or blue or whatever, that is just a loser’s last croak because he ran out of intelligent thing to say.

          I am not indebted to Pnoy or to Arroyo or to Marcos or to Ramos. Suffice it to say that I am never indebted to you.

          People are having a civilized discussion here and then you show up with your lack of it.

  6. Ilda

    I think it was a lot better for CJ Corona that the trial pushed through, since the charges in the Articles of Impeachment had already been aired, published and disseminated. To top it all, these charges had already been magnified in media and recycled long before the Articles were filed.

    And these accusations were the only manipulated information the public had received. Hence, CJ Corona was obligated to respond to, and refute, these negative messages. And the only credible venue that at least allowed him the benefit of equal opportunity and coverage to convincingly explain his side would naturally be the time the accused is allotted during any fair trial.

    Even then, the precedent of what Alexander Hamilton in The Federalist No. 65 refers to as the “demon of faction” lurks: Every Justice of the Supreme Court would now be potentially held hostage by threats of impeachment hurled by disgruntled litigants in tandem with what Hamilton observed as “the comparative strength of [political] parties, than by the real demonstrations of innocence or guilt.”

    1. Domingo Arong

      While it’s true that it is impossible to put the toothpaste back in after you have squeezed it out of the tube, it is still worth highlighting the culture of intimidation in the House of Representatives that led us to this circus. It is still worth telling the public that PNoy’s “Daang Matuwid” is not an improvement or worst than the previous government.

      The biggest mistake Corona and his defense made is in trusting that Corona will be given due process at least during the trial by the Senators.

      1. It can be helped Miss Ilda if the CJ and his team took the road that the Yellow cabal is walking he would have ended up worse than before. Nevertheless by taking the legal way the King in Yellow’s excess have been exposed and it is a small victory that some people have seen the true ugly of King in Yellow and his minions.

        1. Having said what I said in the article, the trial also exposed PNoy and his minion’s evil schemes to more people. This is a good thing.

    2. We are just beating around the bush.

      Do not quote from the Constitution because if the provisions are clear, unambiguous and specific, we will not need lawyers anymore who will interpret it for or against us. Wala na silang trabaho, puro enforcement na lang. Wala nang Regional Trial Court, wala nang Court of Appeals, wala ng Supreme Court.

      Sila ngang abogado nagtatalo pa, tayo pa kaya. Ang sistema lang, sumasang-ayon sila sa decision ng batas. Then so must we.

      Now we have to contend with the law and how the authoritative body will rule on it (Kahit kasukasuka sya)because they are the ones legally empowered. Dura lex, sed lex.

      1. I agree with you though that Pnoy’s intimidation of the Congressmen should be exposed. The Impeachment Court though is not the venue for it now.

        Are you not excited with the Defense’s rebuttal of the evidences presented by the Prosecution?

        Here’s hoping that Sir Cuevas is not pinning the defense’s hope on the abovementioned flaw because that is water under the bridge.

        I think he has more under his sleeves and grinning “Wait til you get load of me”.

        Cheers!

        1. i think everybody knows that compalint was railroaded but tehre was no proof or testimony taht it did happen that way. we cna form our opinion about that befroe Tiangco’s testiomnoy but anyone who says so will say that it is probable and not an actual fact.

          why not use the imepahcment trial as an expose? At least under oath. Di ba ginamit din yun ng prosecution…pati nga before eh nung maglabas sila ng dokumento sa media.

          Impeahcment , in opinion, is a fair game.

    1. The prosecution have all the help they need to convict while Corona only has himself and the lawyers who volunteered to help him.

      1. Hi Ma’am. I think you are going the EMO way.

        Your pity is misplaced. Corona is not just a typical juan or Maria, like me and you: he is the chief justice. Now if you are worried that he will not be qualified to hold public position anymore and he will lose his pension if convicted – I am very sure there are quite a number of people who will trade places with him ANYTIME. Several high-end condos, a very fat peso and dollar account, WOW!!!!!

        He is supposed to be the most brilliant lawyer in the field. Coupled that with another legal force, Serafin Cuevas plus the fiery Santiago.Now that’s Dream Team.

        If indeed the accusations thrown against him are fabrications, these so-called evidences will not hold water.

        1. Your pity is misplaced. Corona is not just a typical juan or Maria, like me and you: he is the chief justice. Now if you are worried that he will not be qualified to hold public position anymore and he will lose his pension if convicted

          You mistake me for someone who is defending Corona. I am defending individual rights and advocating for the rule of law. What happens to Corona can happen to regular juan or Maria. It’s bad enough that someone who has top-notch lawyers volunteering to defend him still can’t get a break, it would be worse for those who won’t have a lawyer to help them.

        2. So you are not defending Corona?!

          And you are championing the rights of Filipinos?

          You can start with the hapless and helpless Filipino first. Corona can very well take care of himself, he has the Supreme Court and other “mechanisms” working for him.

          Maybe you can start with the 90 year old nun who got robbed of their property first. For obvious reasons, I think she needs all the help she can get.

        3. You still did not get the point. This is a high-profile case. Whatever happens during Corona’s trial will be a precedent for future trials.

          Goodnight. I don’t want to waste my time with point-missers.

        4. Benk, you answer your own question. With the advent of internet, you can just google. There are a lot of source but ultimately you will decide for yourself what to believe.

          Good night Ilda. I think you had a long day 😉

        5. @EmoDetector

          He is supposed to be the most brilliant lawyer in the field. Coupled that with another legal force, Serafin Cuevas plus the fiery Santiago.Now that’s Dream Team.

          They’re only effective if the rule of law and due process are strictly adhered to.

          Against this vindictive ruling administration, the kind of media and the population/society we have, as well as the deep pockets and resources at their adversaries’ disposal, not to mention the likes of Drilon up to his usual self as Senator-Judge, it is even way more likely that your aforementioned three are at a serious disadvantage.

          You can start with the hapless and helpless Filipino first.

          True. The HL farmers come to mind.

        6. If indeed the accusations thrown against him are fabrications, these so-called evidences will not hold water.

          Yeah right. You do know that people out there who beleive rumors and gossip rather than actual evidence. they are willing to swallow any story or theory and believe it like it was the Gospel truth.

  7. “Against this vindictive ruling administration, the kind of media and the population/society we have…”

    What more can I say, you VIRTUALLY pointed to everybody as the problem. Is it possible, at least with an iota of consideration, that maybe “we” have some problems of our own? 🙂

    1. @EmoDetector

      What more can I say, you VIRTUALLY pointed to everybody as the problem.

      But not ACTUALLY—not if we can help it.

      Is it possible, at least with an iota of consideration, that maybe “we” have some problems of our own? 🙂

      None of which could be big enough to even compare with the disaster (Mr Problem Personified) running the admin right now 😉

      “We” actually turns out to be pretty accurate insofar as the responsibility to improve our own condition falls squarely on the shoulders of pinoy society taken collectively. Our society may be likened to a human body in which the whole suffers on account of those, so deeply stricken with yellow jaundice, are bent on spreading them over to the rest of its members. The body must fight this creeping yellow illness to keep it from dragging the rest of the body down even further.

      1. The self-proclaimed genius is at it again.

        Stooping down to your gutter level discussion is not worth it.

        “Do not wrestle with a pig. You will both get dirty. He will enjoy it, you won’t”

        Ciao!

        1. If you’re referring to me, better check your poor reading comprehension.

          I’m pointing out how people like you minds work.

          Then, by that, I’m a self-proclaimed genius as you claimed it to be.

          Can you just refute any of my claims?

          Otherwise you’re just a troll.

        2. BTW, I’m always playing it the way a commenter wants it to be.

          You’re a pig and I’ll play it that way.

          You’re an idiot.

  8. Congressman Toby Tiangco is now seen as a hero. His revelations just confirms the interference of Mr. Aquino as the master mind behind the hastily approved and transferred impeachment case for immediate trial. No questions and no debates. The bow well movement 188 were manipulated, threatened and even forced to affix their signatures despite not having read the articles of impeachment. Telling the truth may lead to Congressman Tiangco’s being “disciplined” or removed without due process. So it now appears that telling the truth is also punishable as an instrument of public policy by the straight and wide path administration.

    1. Yes, we should have more public servants like Toby Tiangco. At least he has proven that not all who graduate from the Ateneo are weaklings 😉

  9. Our Legislative system of government is rotten to the core already. Bribery, coercion, corruption are normal to these people. We have these kinds of wicked and evil people, whom we have voted. From the President, down to the lowest Barangay Captain. These people will never exert efforts for change….We , the people (the voters), are only the means for change…no other…If we want our country to survive…we have to initiate the change…

    1. It’s all up to the Filipino people. If they tolerate this kind of culture, then they shouldn’t expect change to happen in the near future.

      1. We have now a Mafia Style government, somewhat like a Hacienda Luisita Mafia. A Code of Silence is in place, by this Mafia stile government. It is enforced in the Senate and the Congress. If you break this Code of Silence. The Enforcers will give you a Kiss of Death, not actually, but literally. These idiots are are talking of expelling Tiongco, because, he violated the Code of Silence…he told the truth…

  10. i salute cong toby! may his tribe increase. only a junior congressman would see the defect in the system and would try, perhaps naively, to do something about it. it takes a lot to be a lone voice in the wilderness.

    yes, he stated what everyone already knows, but he did it under oath and i thought it was gutsy of him to dare his colleagues to refute him under oath as well.

    cong toby’s testimony set the tone for the defense, and as ibp’s atty. joe cabrera said, like the introduction of a book. whether cj corona would be convicted or acquitted, cong toby has just shown that the man is a victim of a very flawed political exercise.

    more power to you ilda!

  11. I’ve foreseen this Ilda. Of course, senator judges most likely will vote against Corona. They won’t get their pork barrels if they don’t. Unless something happens wherein it shows that the impeachment is obviously done on the motive of political bickering instead of being done for the country’s best interest. Tsk tsk…kawawang Pilipinas. We can no longer rely on the government. Let’s just keep strong bonds between family and friends so that our good deeds will transform others and hopefully the society. Hayzz…

    1. Corona is really a victim here.

      He is the epitome of Honesty:

      Everybody makes “minor” adjustments on their SALN. Why single out the Chief Justice? Gloria did worst, why was she not successfully impeached?

      (1) He worked hard for his honors from UST. It is not true that UST bended its rules. UST has stands by their claim that Corona deserves the merits (2) His claims on his academic honors and recognitions are all true. The documents circulating that contradicts his claims are all fake (3) The 90 year old nun is lying. We pity her because she only have limited time on earth, she should have been telling the truth. And she is a nun at that, the liar! (4) The written testimony filed by the caretaker is a lie. He will do anything the Basa’s will tell them.

      He is a Man of Principles:

      (1) He will die fighting for his position. It is his right to serve the Filipino people.
      (2) He was appointed to the position by no less than the President of the Philippines. Midnight appointment does not apply here because the justices agreed with the decision after he convened them and they all made a gentlemen’s agreement. That is the law.
      (3) He is fighting for the right of all Filipino people to protect their dollar accounts from the prying eyes of the government. This is every Filipinos God-given right.
      (4) He is fighting against outdated values and virtues that are irrational and impractical. Delicadeza is a dinosaur. We do not believe in Delicadeza. Delicadeza will not feed our family. It will not take us to higher places.

      Lastly, Corona is very religious. Unlike Pinoy who rallies for RH Bill which is against the teachings of the Church (this is the first time that a President made a head on collision with the Church. Blasphemous!). He should have taken his cue from past presidents who stood with the doctrines. He makes it a point to hear Mass everyday.

      I believe in Corona. He does not deserve these things happening to him.

        1. My mistake. I really missed the point.

          M.Sacras is Sarcasm in reverse.

          My apologies 🙂

        2. Trosp,

          My comment regarding Corona is an experiment. I mean, do you actually believe I am so stupid as to think Corona is squeaky clean? Get real!

          I was just thinking if you guys really are objective, maybe some of you will at least point on some of the obvious defects of my post. Saying that the nun is lying and Corona is not, you just chose to be blind.

          My comment smacks of in-your-face sarcasm. I

        3. M.Sacras

          You’re another commenter here who has problem with comprehension.

          Have I commented anything related to your last posted comment in this post? have I missed anything?

          Dud, better luck next time after you’ve check your poor reading comprehension.

        1. Sir, can you just check and review
          all the comments you posted to every person having different opinion with yours.

          You are like a broken record.

          What intelligent claims are you speaking of?

          All you post is “yellow this, yellow that”, “idiot this, idiot that”. “hypocrite this, hypocrite that”….nothing substantial really.

          Of course the monotonous cacophony has some ass kissings like “great this, great that”…..

          And you have the nerves to engage people in a cerebral discourse. What do you have to offer?

          A yeah… You also quote and sometimes make a collage of a statement from excerpts you copied ,verbatim, and then pass it off as your own.

          NADA, NEGATIVE, NONE.

          Your brain remains to be seen.

        2. imposter detected. the above isn’t the real Peste (the avatar is different).

          don’t worry trosp. one guy can’t gang up on you. now i need my beauty sleep.

        3. Well, as I’ve been saying, these commenters have comprehension problems. Disinformation, misinformation, hypocrisy, lying, and posting same comments using different names.

          I hope their comments will not be flagged as spam or even deleted.

          Thanks Parallax for the support.

        4. I have read with much interest the “rebuttals” of Trosp’s against other posters as per peste’s recent message.
          I am inclined to believe now that indeed the former has a point.

          Maybe Sir Trosp needs to chill a bit. Peace 🙂

        5. @M.Sacras

          Your point well taken.

          These dishonest and hypocrite commenters, for me, do not deserve respect. To my peril, I would call them for what they are.

          I sound like a broken record for their REPEATED dishonesties and disinformation. They can’t refute me for that.

          Read how they comment back:

          “The self-proclaimed genius is at it again.

          Stooping down to your gutter level discussion is not worth it. ”

          “parallelaxe, “phoney, Acutely agreeable tone”? Oh, you mean being normal, as opposed to your hatchetwork. I don’t want other people to ignore my remarks, just you two psychologically deranged stalkers.”

          I was not wrong in refuting them but they feel they are wronged that they resort to playing the victimhood card.

          Victim of deranged stalker, self-proclaimed genius.

          Jeez…

  12. @benign0/Ilda

    I’ve twice read the comments in this post and I’ve noticed that the comment of getreal (aka twoface?) which was captured in my inbox was not posted in the thread.

    You may delete this comment because I will repost the dud’s comment exactly as it was captured in my inbox.

    1. @Trosp

      It went to the spam folder because there was nothing in the comment that was productive. And if you look at twoface’s previous posts, she’ll just go on and on about being a victim.

      1. Sad you’ve edited my comment by deleting her comment. At any rate, it’s your call.

        This was her (twoface) comment the other time:

        “Didn’t realize that that was a sensitive subject. I don’t remember saying that I hated this site. I do remember saying that I hate SC though. Okay, I will leave. This site will be pretty much deserted after March 23rd anyway.”

        Today is March 23…

        And I was also reminded by Parallax’s rejoinder sometime ago:

        “don’t worry, trosp.

        they always come back.

        jcc just needs more of his useless blog posts to spam us with (by posting the link).

        harakiri’s probably busy rehearsing sepukku.

        joe america has a love-hate relationship with this blog because he’s a guy who usually thinks straight when it comes to most things; he only loses all grasp of reality when it comes to his idol pbrain. and he tends to miss my opening up a can of whupass on him.

        vincenzo will always need to come back. he’s a glutton for humiliation. (i actually have more fun trolling smarter people because vincenzo is just scraping the bottom of the barrel.)”

        He he he, cheers…

        1. Trosp

          Yes, it is our call as moderators. We’ve learned not to waste our time responding to comments that are irrelevant to the topic. I’ve spent quite a number of days in the past just rebutting a useless and pointless commenter and I am not about to repeat that experience here. Some people think that they can keep insulting us using foul language and excessive ad hominem just because we do not agree with their views. They can think again. They should just simply create their own blogsite and write their own views there if they can’t help themselves.

          You’ve been a reader of GRP for a while now. You should know that we allow dissenting opinion as long as it does not violate the commenting guideline.

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