After being absent in the first week of the impeachment trial of the beleaguered Chief Justice Corona of the Supreme Court, the feisty Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago is back on again to give more drama and excitement to the tedious trial.
On her first day, Sen. Santiago with her usual professor like manner lashed back at Ilo-ilo representative and chief public prosecutor Neil Tupas for coming unprepared. The scene will remind any law student of a professor cornering a student winging his way out of a recitation that he has not prepared on. It is almost like watching a classmate being put on a scalding hot seat, naturally bringing back worst (even disturbing) law school memories of bad recitations.
The patience of Sen. Santiago started to run low when she asked both the defence and the prosecution to submit the lists of their witnesses and documentary evidence to determine the length of the trial. Apparently, Rep.Tupas had said that he had to consult first with the rest of the House Panel while Justice Cuevas easily gave a straight answer that they will be presenting 15 witnesses and 23 marked documentary evidence, marking the obvious difference as to the level of preparedness between the two opposing parties. The Senator told Tupas “You have to come to court prepared. You do not waste the time of this court!”
In an interview before the trial started, Sen. Santiago said that she suffered from a terminal boredom from watching the trial proceedings. She even said jokingly that she already said her act of contrition, got down on her knees and almost shot her head because of the pain the impeachment proceedings has been bringing her. She further said that should she had her way, she would rather go scuba diving in the Bermuda triangle than participate in the trial prompting the media to a fit of laughter and amusement to the Senator.
She also said that “It has been a display of legal ignorance that’s why the trial has been taking so long. It was unstructured”. According to her, had the impeachment not include the participation of the Media, the trial would have been over after a week. She said that the prosecution and the defence are feeling the need to give drama since the people are watching. Quoting her exact words, Santiago announced that “Everybody has a tendency to go overboard because they think they have to do a dramatic stance in front of the TV. Without the TV, the proceedings could have been finished in a week”.
Despite the innuendos and boredom statements of the good Senator, she however promised that she will participate nevertheless in the trial. She finally said that “This is my Duty. I have no choice”.
Danjun Lucas
Blog Entry No. 6
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