‘Senators should beware of election impact’

REP. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district said the impeachment trial could be  a public barometer for the senators.

“It is the people who will judge.  If Corona is guilty and is acquitted due to technicalities, some senators will lose in the election,” he said.

Even President Benigno Aquino III should be careful, he said.

“Because the president has a high popularity rate, he can do whatever it is that he wants, but doing such may later lead the whole system to collapse,” he said.

Osmeña said Aquino should continue to allow a “clash of ideas” to keep democracy alive.

The impeachment proceeding against Corona is proof of democracy in action, he said.

Osmeña was unable to sign the impeachment complaint because of his medical checkup abroad.

Even if he was present when  the complaint was passed around for signing, Osmeña said he wouldn’t  have signed it immediately.

He said he wanted to study the impeachment complaint first.

“But based on what I see (from the impeachment proceedings), there is no way that I’ll vote for him (Corona), so he should be out,” said Osmeña.

The congressman said in jest that if he were in Las Vegas where gambling is prevalent, he would surely bet for Corona’s conviction by the senator judges.

But he also expressed admiration for retired justice Serafin Cuevas’s masterful display of trial experience as counsel for Corona.

Osmeña also defended his elder brother, Sen. Serge Osmeña, who has been quiet during the impeachment proceedings.

“Serge is very active in the background but he is not a grandstander.  He does his homework and they have a lot of discussion but not necessarily on the floor,” said the congressman./Doris Bongcac