The sophistication of Rudy Fariñas
When deputy lead prosecutor Congressman Rodolfo “Rudy” Fariñas delivered his speech about “palusot,” a term he used to describe Chief Justice Renato Corona’s explanation for failing to truthfully declare his cash assets (US $2.4 million and P80 million deposited in banks) in his 2010 Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth, most senator-judges sitting in the Impeachment Court were listening and smiling.
Apart from being entertained by the Ilocano lawmaker’s closing arguments, it is said that the majority of senators who early on had made a decision to convict Corona for gross violation of the SALN law somehow found in Fariñas’ speech all that they wanted to tell the people by way of explaining their vote.
The “palusot” speech was realistic, shorn of legalese and delivered casually as if Fariñas was just talking to a close circle of friends. But the reason the theme struck a chord among the population is because we too have been there and done that, making palusot to avoid blame either for minor or major lapses, to save face in embarrassing moments. It was Senator-judge Loren Legarda who said, “Sapagkat tayo ay tao lamang” (We are just human). In explaining her vote to convict Corona, Legarda took note that man is prone to make mistakes, but the bar or standard for Supreme Court magistrates is exacting compared to lesser mortals.
The Senate found Chief Justice Renato Corona guilty by a vote of 20-3, of committing “culpable violation of the Constitution and/or betraying the public trust when he failed to disclose to the public his Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth as required under Section 17, Article XI of the 1987 Constitution.”
The historic trial will be remembered in a long time and Congressman Fariñas will certainly be noted for interpreting CJ Corona’s testimony for what it really was: self-serving, expedient, a lame excuse that ultimately sealed his doom.
The impeachment process began in mid-December 2011 and although people were interested, they were unable to sift through all the evidence and oral testimonies presented by both sides. In fact, the tide was in favor of the defense in the early days of the trial because the prosecution always fumbled on the submission of documentary evidence. Corona’s lawyers jumped at each opportunity and succeeded in shooting down the prosecution on technicalities. People became distracted and misconstrued the legal acrobatics for the crux of the issue.
The trial could have gone either way, except that Corona prompted his lawyers to present Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales and much later, testified himself.
Fariñas said he was seated close to Corona when the CJ appeared twice in the later stages of the trial, and after hearing all his lame excuses, the deputy lead prosecutor decided to frame his closing arguments in the all-too familiar palusot line.
A product of the Ateneo Law School and a bar topnotcher, Congressman Fariñas of Ilocos Norte is a controversial lawmaker whose political career spans at least four decades. Dubbed the “bazooka” of the prosecution, Fariñas pointed out during the penultimate day of the trial that CJ Corona never submitted his SALN since 2001. Corona came around to accomplish what is expressly mandated by the 1987 Constitution (Section 17, Article XI) only in 2010 because a new President got elected. With that, Fariñas drove home the point that while Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was in Malacañang, Corona felt untouchable.
In exposing the falsehood of Corona’s explanation that he started investing in dollars in the early ’60s, Fariñas told the court the reason Senate President and presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile had to cut off the CJ’s testimony last Friday was because Enrile was finance secretary during the early ’60s when Corona was still in short pants.
Fariñas couldn’t help but laugh over the supposed commingled funds that Corona was supposedly holding in trust for his family and relatives, because it is basic bank policy that whoever holds the account owns it. In any case, if the P80 million were really commingled, they would have been deposited in joint accounts and reflected in Corona’s SALN under liabilities.
The Ilocano lawmaker’s closing arguments lacked eloquence but it was the need of the hour. And I’d like to take it from a wise man who once said, “In simplicity is ultimate sophistication.”
