Prosecution team member admits Corona impeach complaint ‘poorly crafted’

MANILA, Philippines – No less than a member of the prosecution team admitted before the Senate on Tuesday that the impeachment complaint filed against Chief Justice Renato Corona was “poorly crafted.”

Ilocos Norte Representative Rodolfo Farinas, a member of the prosecution team, made this admission when asked by Senate Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada why he did not sign the complaint.

Estrada initially asked Farinas if he signed the complaint against Corona, to which the prosecutor answered “no” because he said he was not able to read the complaint.

“Mabagal po kasi akong bumasa [I read slowly],” Farinas said, adding that colleagues who signed the complaint were the speed readers unlike him.

“And I’m slow. And because there were a lot of signatories, 188, my signature was no longer needed. And besides, it was poorly crafted. . . I no longer signed,” he added in Filipino, eliciting laughter from the crowd inside the gallery of the Senate session hall.

“Inaamin ko naman lahat, inaamin ko [I admit everything, I admit everything],” Farinas said.

Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile, the presiding officer, immediately banged the gavel and said, “Let’s stop this thing and proceed with the trial.”