Corona composed a masterful
defense testimony which covered all the accusations that the prosecution put up
against him within the scope of the trimmed down impeachment issues. It was
delivered as an opening statement, an unorthodox narrative style that was
uninterrupted by the other side’s objections to normally not allowed
declarations such as hearsay evidence, uncorroborated testimony, unjust
impugning of characters made against Pnoy, the Ombudsman and Jose Ma. Basa
(deceased), self serving stories of frugality other irrelevant and immaterial
citations. The prosecution objected to the prolonged statement but the CJ was
allowed by the presiding officer to continue with the reasoning that the
prosecution can object during the direct questioning by the defense. It was
truly unfair to the prosecution for the witness to have a prepared testimony
read in its entirety uninterrupted. JPE said that the testimony will be
stricken off the records if the CJ does not return for the cross examination
only to change his mind later on when he said that the read testimony of the CJ
will be admissible as testimony.
It also had the benefit of
being delivered with emotional (tearful pauses, choked utterances,
hypoglycaemic discomfort, etc.) histrionics worthy of acting awards which would
never have been delivered in that manner in the normal course of a court
procedure.
The presiding officer JPE
ostensibly allowed citing liberality of the court.
This was a brilliant defense
testimony because it addressed both legal issues and public opinion without any
interruption; something that would not have been possible if the normal court
procedures were followed.
After delivering (reading)
all that he had to say, he capped his three hour speech in a dramatic fashion
by the declaration that he will sign the waiver to open his dollar accounts.
But wait, in almost the same breath he put a condition that Senator Drilon and
all the 188 congressmen who initiated the impeachment proceedings against him
to do the same. An adaptation of Christ’s “he who is without sin cast the first
stone” momentarily forgetting that he is the only one accused here.
Without waiting to be
dismissed as a witness he rose from witness stand and left after declaring “I
am the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court...I wish to be excused” leaving all
and sundry agape with the abruptness of the uncivil move. There was no sign of
him having a hypoglycaemic episode as he sprightly stood from the witness chair
and strode towards the exit elevators going to his waiting getaway vehicle
already out of the garage and ready to zoom
away, only to be stopped by an aging sergeant-at-arms of the Senate.
Recognizing the
indefensibility of his case he may have planned it to end this way. JPE said
that if Corona does not return to the impeachment court he will be forced to
strike out all the three hour long testimony, declare the proceedings closed
and make the senator judges make their votes on the basis of testimonies
already given by earlier witnesses. Since the ultimate defense of opening his
bank accounts to the impeachment court was not an option, closing it now after
making an impassioned but unsupported claims and counterclaims, after having an
uncensored lashing out on his critics and detractors, this against any other
time would be the best way to end the impeachment proceedings and have the
senator jurors vote on his fate.
A stroke of genius; allowed
to make a three hour defense unimpeded, unregulated by the rules of court and
unchallenged by a cross examination from the prosecution. By not appearing
further he rests his case. No matter the ruling of the presiding officer to
disregard the testimony, the senator judges have heard his unchallenged
testimony and more importantly, he was able to address the public who cannot be
told by JPE to disregard what they heard. His chances at acquittal would have
improved considerably now that some of the senators who were so inclined to
side with Corona from the start are given some reason for voting in favour of
the Chief Justice.
A clever plan that needed the
acquiescence of the court for it to succeed; an opening statement; a prepared
speech which took all three hours to complete. If it was not allowed to be
delivered in the manner it was done then the whole stunt would not have had its
desired effect.
I feel a lot of discomfort
with what has transpired; it was all so neatly done, an elaborate defense
tactic that depended on the liberality of the court.
My sense is that there is
something amiss here. To quote Hamlet, “something is rotten in the state of Denmark.”
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