AS A physician witnessing the Corona impeachment proceedings, I cannot help but compare and discern a stark difference between medical practice and the legal process as far as the search for “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth” is concerned.
In Medicine, when the complaints of the patients are heard by the physician or a group of physicians, and the clinical interrogation, examination, evidence-gathering (laboratory test reports, etc), are initiated, the “advocates for truth,” who are the physicians and other members of the team, have only one clear universal goal: to search for truth (the right diagnosis), supported by facts, upon which the verdict (treatment) will depend. Hence, the truth is essential, fundamental, and truly indispensable. And everyone on the case, in good faith and in accordance to ntheir sworn Hippocratic Oath, works expeditiously, to get to the truth in the name of quality medical care or medical “justice” for everyone, Chief Justice or not.
No member of the treating team, including the Big Professor, would be objecting, or refusing to accept, vital data, reports, documents, evidences, etc. None of them would try delaying tactics and technicalities to evade the issue in order to avoid the proper treatment. Above all, no member of the healthcare team would be calling for the medical investigation to be stopped, before or after it has been initiated, with the intentional sinister purpose of keeping the truth from being revealed.
Law was my second love in college, before I decided to take up medicine. As a young impressionistic college student, I had the utmost admiration and respect for the law profession and lawyers. To me then, lawyers were synonymous with the defender of truth and justice, who keep criminals off the streets and send them where they belong, behind bars, to protect the people and the nation.
I also thought they were simply brilliant for the legal tenets that “no one is above the law,” that public trust is inviolate, and that all public officials, especially the members of the executive, legislative and judiciary, must be held to a higher (the highest!) standard of law and justice.
As I grew older, the legal realities became more obvious: When two sides, as in two legal protagonist teams, collide in court, one prosecuting and the other defending two diametrically opposite stands (as to guilt or innocence), only one could be right and just, since there is only ONE truth. This reality in the legal process makes only 50 percent of all lawyers are defenders of truth and justice, and the other 50 percent defenders of falsehood and injustice, as what would result in every trial, even in the Corona Impeachment Trial.
In the proceedings against the Chief Justice the following are truly bothersome and very much against the search for the truth and justice: the determined efforts earlier of Cuevas, et.al to quash and prevent the Impeachment Trial and their vehement objection to the introduction of evidences (re: SALN, titles to properties and multiple bank account data locally and abroad, and perhaps tax returns, etc). They even resorted to a TRO.
Why would any lawyer on the case, prosecution or defense, not welcome legitimate and proper evidences that could help expose the truth and serve justice? Aren’t both sides searching for truth? The defense can present evidences, if they have any, to show that Corona is a saint and not a criminal, that the Chief Justice was legally compliant in his SALN, that he earned every single penny, every home and property (5 or 45, I lost count!) that he possesses today, that he did not amass ill-gotten wealth, that the praying Corona shedding tears was not a plunderer or law-breaker, that the Chief Justice is sinless. If Corona is innocent and has nothing to hide, why not bare it all? I challenge Cuevas and his circus team to perform a juggling act: to be honest and just, and at the same time save the immaculate Corona.
Risa Hontiveros, who is Bantay Gloria co-convenor and also the spokesperson of Akbayan Party, said in a recent email I received, that Chief Justice Renato Corona “is desperately trying to throw a legal monkey wrench to put out of joint the proceedings of the impeachment trial….Corona appears bent on transforming the Supreme Court into a sanctuary for crooks.
Leah Navarro, leader of the Black and White Movement stated Corona “is now recognized for what he really is, a plunderer and loyal bastonero of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the high court.” And we could not agree more Risa and Leah.
If I were the Chief Justice and were innocent, I would not want to stop the impeachment and leave my reputation and my family’s name badly tarnished and ruined forever. I would even personally join in my defense (even against my legal counsels’ advice) and allow any and all evidences from the prosecution, bare all my assets and liabilities, bank accounts (local and foreign), and personally prove convincingly that I was a law-abiding citizen and innocent. After all, I was a dawn appointee and a Chief Justice, an expert in law!
But, of course, I would do that only if I were innocent of the charges.
So far, I personally view Chief Justice Corona and his defense team as enemies of honesty, truth, and justice, by the way they argue and behave in and out of court. They also are alike and truly deserve each other. My respect and admiration go the tenacity and integrity of the “fumbling, inexperienced” prosecutors who are struggling very hard to present the truth, while Cuevas tries to derail and prevent them.
I am one of those who believe that Justice Corona’s defiance and arrogance and refusal to do a “Merci,” were a result of a Divine Providence. God is good to the Philippines and the Filipino People. He wanted to expose the truth and bestow upon our nation and our people the generous blessing that will help us wage a more effective war against graft and corruption. If the Chief Justice is determined innocent, which is most unlikely with all the evidences presented so far, he deserves to be free, but the painful lessons in this Trial will serve as a serious warning to all our public officials that Juan del Cruz, inspired by P-Noy’s “Daang Matuwid,” has awaken and will zoom on them and their activities with extreme vigilance.
The case of Merceditas Guttierez, the Ombudsman, who also resigned under fire, another pal of Gloria Arroyo, is far from over. The hands of justice could still grab her for the final judgment day. And this could even be harsher and more “merci-less” than an impeachment procedure.
If, in spite of the damning evidences exposed at the Impeachment Trial, the Court of Legislators still does not impeach the Chief Justice and set him free, these members of the impeachment court will become suspect as crooks and thieves protecting the honor of a fellow plunderer and criminal. And they themselves must then face the full wrath of the Parliament of the Streets.
On trial and at stake at this impeachment court is not only Chief Justice Renato Corona but Philippine justice itself, the integrity of our legal system, our legislators, and the dignity and honor of our nation and the Filipino people.
Let us show the world that in the Philippines no one, not even a Chief Justice, is above the law, and that the Filipinos are honorable and just.
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