Now the Senate trial can move faster

Wow! Suddenly the prosecution rested its cases before the Senate Impeachment trial vs. CJ Corona on the 25th day of this historic case. An even bigger surprise is that the prosecution dropped five of its eight impeachment articles notably articles 1,4,5, 6 and 8. This means for instance, they have already embraced the realities that CJ Corona was not a midnight appointee because this issue was already considered solved. This was one of the many reasons why Pres. Benigno “Pnoy” Aquino, III did not allow CJ Corona to swear him into office.

What’s left are the articles 2, 3 and 7 which Lead House prosecutor Neil Tupas, Jr. says is more than enough to convict CJ Corona. As Senate Presiding Officer/judge Juan Ponce Enrile remarked, “This is a very welcome move. This means even if Justice Sereno accepts the invitation of the Senate trial court to testify against CJ Corona, but what article will Sereno be testifying on? This was supposedly in support of DOJ Leila de Lima’s testimony in Article 7.” This also means that De Lima’s “hearsay” evidence is no longer an issue and will be left hanging for future impeachment hearings to come.

This news of course means that this impeachment trial will now move faster because the defense has less evidence to present. At least now, it is CJ Corona’s turn to refute all the allegations that the prosecution slapped on him in Article 2, 3 and 7. In short, we will now know what is fact and what is fiction. It just makes you wonder why the prosecution suddenly rested? I reckon, this has something to do with Pres. Benigno “Pnoy” Aquino; III who we suspect has been conducting this Senate trial from behind the scenes.

This just makes me wonder, after the dust of this trial settles down what would happen to those who took their oaths and lied in the process? This was what Senator-judge Miriam Defensor Santiago threatened to file because she had evidence that the prosecutor lied under oath.

I just saw on my Facebook an old photo of a wedding where Psbank’s Tiongson were sponsors in that wedding with Rep. Neil Tupas, Jr. Now didn’t the latter say that they never knew each other? Indeed, when this trial is over, it just might not end quietly. So will the prosecution get the 16 votes needed to convict CJ Corona is the question on everyone’s mind.

That was quite a massive rally that the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) held last Tuesday. I passed by the Fuente Osmeña at 2:00 pm and I could see that the entire Fuente circle was full of plastic chairs, except the middle part where the fountain is. By 5:00 pm, I went back to Fuente Osmeña on foot because traffic was already heavy and yes, it was a great time to meet up with my old friends, CITOM enforcers who never fail to greet or salute their old chairman. They were profuse in their apologies for not being able to stop the huge yellow Ceres buses and mini-buses from all over the Province of Cebu from parking within the inner circle of the roadway in the Fuente Osmeña.

But then, CITOM could not do much, after all, the rally had a permit and in fairness to the INC they had their own security and traffic people helping out CITOM in manning the traffic. The outer perimeter was full of black shirted men with a SCAN logo on their chest. They were very polite when I asked them questions. The Fuente circle was so full, you really couldn’t get in, which is why I had to contend myself in going around Fuente Osmeña.

It was a good time to chat with my former boys in CITOM and hear their problems. I came across a traffic police on a white Yamaha patrol motorcycle and he told me that the engine was no longer running the way it used to run. It turn out that those bikes were brand new when we put in the SCATS automated traffic system. If SCATS is already outdated, how much more for those heavily used motorcycles? Perhaps Mayor Mike Rama ought to prioritize getting new motorcycles for our traffic cops. Cebu after all is trying to modernize… and bikes aren’t really that expensive.

Anyway, what was clear with the INC Rally was that it was not about politics as earlier feared by Malacañang. The INC rally at the Quirino Grandstand was also very massive and perhaps it should be a warning to our politicians that they just can’t ignore the 3 million strong INC members who vote in one huge block. For those seeking the Senate office that is crucial.

Perhaps that rally should be a challenge to many archdioceses in the country that as leaders of the Catholic Church, they could at least show a similar drawing power that the INC just showed to last Tuesday. We are a nation where 86% are considered cradle Catholics, but somehow, parish priests or our bishops cannot even convince their flock to join our Anti-rh rallies. I hope and pray someday, Catholics will be proud of their faith.