Lawyer apologizes, quits prosecution panel
Volunteer lawyer Vitaliano Aguirre has quit the prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona and has apologized for making Sen. Miriam Santiago blow her top with his gesture of covering his ears with his hands while she was berating prosecutors.
Prosecution spokesman Rep. Miro Quimbo of Marikina told a news conference yesterday that Aguirre had informed them of his decision to resign as private prosecutor.
“He realized that the situation has become difficult for him. Anyway, he has already apologized for the incident. We thank him for his volunteer work, for which he spent time and money,” Quimbo said.
Aguirre incurred Santiago’s ire when he covered his ears with his hands while the senator, who will soon sit in the International Court of Justice, was lecturing prosecutors in a raised voice.
When Sen. Jinggoy Estrada confronted the volunteer lawyer, Aguirre said he could no longer take Santiago’s lecture.
For showing “disrespect” to a senatorjudge, the Senate impeachment court has cited Aguirre for contempt. However, it has yet to prescribe a penalty.
Quimbo said the incident “was entirely unexpected on our part and it would have been better had it not happened.”
“As public prosecutors, we have become used to being lectured by Sen. Miriam. We take it as part of the process and we set aside our sense of pride for the higher goal of expediting the trial and getting the Chief Justice convicted,” he said. He said there were times when Santiago “was kind to the prosecution.”
“Despite the incident, we are sure that she’ll be fair and objective when she casts her vote on the Corona impeachment case,” he added. He also said Aguirre would abide by the decision of the impeachment court on the penalty it would impose on him for his contemptuous behavior even if he would quit the prosecution panel.
“But we hope the impeachment court would give him leeway, considering that he has already apologized,” he said. He said Santiago’s labeling of prosecutors as “gago (stupid)” was uncalled for. “It was good that it was deleted from the record of proceedings,” he said. It was deputy lead prosecutor Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas of Ilocos Norte who moved for the deletion of Santiago’s remark.
Fresh sashimi
If he had his way, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile would like Aguirre to spend two nights at the Senate and be served sashimi with lots of spicy was able as punishment for disrespect of Santiago.
The Senate acting as impeachment court will decide in a caucus on Tuesday what sanction would be imposed on Aguirre. If he is ordered detained, Aguirre is likely to share space with Jerry Leal, an anti- money laundering expert of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, who was threatened with contempt by Enrile alleg- edly for lying about Corona’s bank documents.
Enrile admitted that he would often lower the volume of his earpiece because floor debates can become “too loud.”
Enrile, a veteran trial lawyer, said he understands Santiago’s outburst. “I understand Miriam’s frustration,” he said. “Seeing our fellow lawyers fumbling can be frustrating.”
He said it is normal in courtrooms for judges to berate inexperienced and fumbling lawyers.
“You really need to be taught lessons in law. You may have to be humiliated in front of fellow lawyers to learn,” he said.
Not contrite
In a separate interview, Santiago again blasted Aguirre for his “defiant attitude to the court. “
“When you apologize you adopt a contrite attitude because yesterday, the reason why senators became angry, first, he was committing an act of misbehavior in the very presence of the judges,” Santiago said.
Santiago said Aguirre’s action was direct contempt, which was criminal in nature.
“It will be a criminal record… When he was asked to explain, all the senators noted that he was not even sorry, he was even very arrogant in claiming it,” Santiago added.