I could not imagine how Chief Justice Renato Corona must have been feeling at this point. As the impeachment trial opens today, various thoughts have probably been rushing towards him.
Why me?
Why now?
What's next?
Who knows? Being interrogated is something traumatic, what more being impeached in the rule of law and in the perception of the public. I have a very limited knowledge about the rules of impeachment, but I'd like to share my thoughts about it.
1. Milestone- I think this impeachment proceeding is a milestone in the country's judicial process. For one, this is the first time that a Supreme Court Justice would be prosecuted under the rule of law. This may have pros and cons of course, but I think the pros outweigh the cons since this would create a big impact to the public that in our country, power, position, and authority are not tantamount to judicial immunity. For average the average Filipino like me, this sends a healthy "fear" i.e. fear not to do (or repeat) any wrong doings because there is indeed a justice system working.
This is also positive in a way that it will send a message to the world. This will debunk falsely written historical accounts that this country, prior to the arrival of Spaniards, does not have a system of government. This will prove that this country has had logic and justice deeply rooted within our consciousness and subconsciousness.
2. Circus- On the negative side, I think this impeachment has also become a circus for some. Not everyone showed professionalism within the process since some prosecutors have (I think) gone beyond the line. Showing evidences in public, in my opinion, is an outright trial by publicity and this is not good since not all Filipinos are skeptic and critical. I condemn this act because I believe these issues should have been settled DURING the impeachment proceedings and not BEFORE it. This has most probably led to prejudices among Filipinos. We have to always remember that at this point in time, whether they have shown or proven evidences or not, the Chief Justice is innocent simply because he has not been proven guilty, yet.
I also denounce any acts from ANY religious groups or sects that jump into this lowly mudslinging. The constitution clearly presents a demarcation line between the Church and the State, which means that the while churches may have the moral obligation to remind or make people reflect, they should not be making sides. Moreover, to those reading the Bible and believing in Jesus, we should remember that He himself teaches AGAINST politics in churches. How many times have he questioned the Pharisees and Scribes? Instead, I believe that they should be standing firm on the basis of peacefully resolving social and political issues like this.
3. Reflection of Bravery and Courage- Finally, I think this impeachment is a reflection of the growing vigilance and patriotism. It is also a reflection of Bravery and Courage both on the side of the Chief Justice and his prosecutors. To impeach a chief justice requires bravery and courage aside from intelligence. Similarly, to face such a trial needs more than bravery and courage and CJ Corona has proven he's up for the battle.
In the end, wherever this case goes and whatever verdicts it would bring, I pray that it would lead to a better Philippines.
Let's not just be contented to pursue justice. Above all, let's learn our lessons.
