88-year-old Enrile confident about steering impeachment trial

As  as one of the  longest-serving public officials in the country, 88-year-old Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said he was  confident of steering the impeachment trial of  Chief Justice Renato Corona to its conclusion.

“It’s not difficult for me (to preside). It is not unfamiliar to me,” said the lawyer who was in Cebu yesterday for a leadership lecture series.

“The speed is fairly reasonable. I can’t enforce any timetable,”  he told a press conference.

Enrile  cited his years as a trial lawyer appearing in courts across the country.

Asked whether a conviction of Chief Justice Corona would result in a constitutional crisis, Enrile said it may “unless preparations are made on the ground” by the government.

“You can’t separate  the person of the chief justice and the court which he leads.  To charge the chief justice of misconduct involves the institution,” he told reporters.

Enrile said an impeachment trial is similar to a criminal trial in court.

Corona can only be declared liable if there is “clear and convincing evidence” against him.

Enrile was the first guest lecturer of the Gullas Leadership Lecture held at the Cebu Country Club yesterday with over 200 people in attendance.

Enrile talked about how his experience as a prisoner of war during World War II shaped his values in life and how he was inspired by “great” world leaders like Moses, Martin Luther King Jr., Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, including contemporary corporate leaders like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates.

“Only a few of you know that during the war, I was a prisoner of the Japanese police for 89 days.  I was kept in the dungeon. . . . I know how it feels when a saber is placed on your nape.  I know how it feels when a gun is pointed at you,” said Enrile.

He said he was fortunate to survive the war and the 1986 Edsa Revoution, where, as defense minister, he turned against President Marcos and supported the opposition forces led by Corazon Aquino.

“Contrary to what others have thought, I got into it not because of ambition and hunger for power.  I was totally committed to the cause I was fighting for…”

“Someday soon, you will get to read my story.  I am currently writing my memoirs and I am including some facts that were omitted by the so-called Edsa writers/historians,” he said.

In his speech, Enrile described a good leader as one with vision, the ability to inspire others to give their best, to feel the pulse of the masses, resolve conflicts and be fair and decisive.

Lastly, a good leader “must have unquestionable integrity.”

“Whatever field he is in, a real leader has the moral courage to follow his heart and uphold the values he believes in.”

Enrile said he never expected to be where he is now. As a youth in Cagayan province, Enrile said he didn’t even know who his father was.

“I didn’t expect that someday I would  preside over an impeachment trial involving the highest magistrate in the land,” he said.

As presiding officer of the impeachment trial, which  is televised live, Enrile said the work is similar to appearing in a criminal trial, where the accused can only be held liable if there is “clear and convincing evidence” against him.

“Each senator judge will decide on the case based on his or her conscience and appreciation of the evidence,” Enrile said.

Aside from Enrile, the UV leadership lecture series program also has lined up as speakers Transporation and Communications Secretary Mar Roxas, Archbishop Emeritus of Cebu Ricardo Cardinal Vidal and Vice President Jejomar Binay.Reporter Ador Vincent Mayol with Correspondent Chito Aragon