The CJ Corona Impeachment Qoutable Qoutes

A day after the decision for Chief Justice Corona, I finally come to the point thinking "What is the government's next soap opera?" Millions of people observed the trial since day one and now it came to an end. Though I'm going to miss my favorite character Atty. Cuevas, I hope this episode won't happen again to fulfill political ambition. 


And as I am awake more than 24 hours from my work going home to witness history unfold, I can't help but notice several lawyers and senators doze off during Juan Ponce Enrile's speech. 


And I'm proud of what my generation demonstrated the time this chaos has been on going. We're involved! 

As I read over the Senator judges' manuscripts, I came across several lines worth noting: 


The CJ Corona Impeachment Qoutable Qoutes


EDGARDO J. ANGARA

• The law was never intended to be a convenient device for Filipino public officials to conceal their assets.

ALAN PETER CAYETANO

• Gusto ko po na magbago ang ating bansa. Gusto ko po na makita na nakatawa rin ang aking ama. Ngunit mayroon din pong kanser ang ating lipunan. Kanser na ang ibang batas at ang ibang pamantayan o standard sa ating lipunan ay iba para sa mayaman at makapangyarihan at iba para sa mahirap. Kanser ng korupsyon. Kanser na para sa mga mayaman at makapangyarihan na ang simple ay ginagawang komplikado.
• Pati ba naman sa pera may diskriminasyon tayo? Pati ba naman sa sarili nating bansa ay nangingibabaw ang dolyar sa peso?
• Bakit sa mahirap pag nahuli, ang sasabihin sa kanya: sa presinto ka na magpaliwanag? Bakit po kapag mayaman lahat ng lusot, batas, at technicalities available sa kanya?
• Kapag ang isang mahirap, nahulihan ng asawa na may sweet na text sa iba sa kanyang cellphone, ano ang sasabihin niya? “Honey, mis-sent ‘yan,” o kaya ay “Hindi ko cellphone ‘yan”. Kapag ba mayaman kukuha pa ng abogado? Sasabihin mo pa ba, “Honey, hindi ko text ‘yan, text ng iba ‘yan. Nakigamit sa akin. Share kami. In trust ‘yan. Co-mingled text iyan. Kaya hindi sa akin ‘yan.”
• Technicalities should protect the rights of the people. I don’t blame this court for sticking to technicalities because this is supposed to protect the rights of the people. But, somehow in this country, it is being used to protect people who plunder this country.
• to us as a nation, let us pound on the truth, pound on justice. Let us pound on grafters in this country.
• “If your client cannot explain, I cannot abstain.”
• If you did not disclose, we have to depose. If you are not fit, you cannot sit.
• corruption has a direct co-relation to investments, business, jobs, prices, and the quality of services we give our people.
• Kung gusto nating magbago ang bansa, dapat pare-pareho.

PIA CAYETANO

• "Public office is a pubic trust." Once trust is gone, we must step down to preserve integrity of one's office
• In our interpretation of the law, we who hold a position of public trust, must choose the interpretation that will uphold pubic interest over private interest. 
• My fervent hope is that in the future, the pursuit of justice is conducted in a more responsible manner, lest our children are left with the impression that those accused of wrongdoing can be persecuted without respecting their rights.

FRANKLIN DRILON

• A corrupt official will commit corruption, the fruits of corruption will be converted into foreign exchange and the foreign exchange will be deposited in a foreign currency deposit unit.” 
• Those who dispense justice must conform to the highest standards of professional integrity, and personal honesty.

FRANCIS ESCUDERO

• Dalangin ko po na sana agad na magsimula ang paghilum ng pait, sugat at pagkakawatak-watak ng ating bansa. Sana naman, pagkatapos nito ay tama na! Let us move on and move forward. Pag-tuunan na natin ng pansin ang mahahalagang problema sa ating bansa na may kinalaman sa ating ekonomiya at paglagay ng pagkain sa bawat lamesa.

TEOFISTO GUINGONA III

• Ang Saligang Batas ay sagrado. Anumang paglusot sa mga utos nito; anumang pagbaluktot dito ay paglabag at pambabastos sa pinakamataas na Batas ng bansa.

JOSE "JINGOY" ESTRADA

• Corona “virtually hanged himself with that walkout.“It’s practically suicide. Or he’s killing himself slowly….It made life easier for the senator-judges.”

GREGORIO HONASAN

• "We have not proven that the defendant is corrupt or malicious... What is clear is that he is not longer fit to preside over the highest court of the land...Doubt is the opposite of faith."
• “Whether it’s in a normal court proceeding or the impeachment trial, I cannot imagine a situation where a witness imposes a condition on the judge and the prosecutors.” 
• “You have to factor in evidence, testimonies, proof. But it’s a political process. Ultimately, you have to factor in what will be good for the country.”

PANFILO LACSON

• I have always been an investigator all my public service life. Modesty aside, I have the uncommon ability to determine if a person is telling the truth or not.
• Chief Justice Renato Corona used to work as a senior officer of the tax and corporate counseling group of the tax division of a prominent accounting firm, Sycip Gorres and Velayo and Company. He also taught commercial law, taxation and corporate law at the Ateneo de Manila University for 17 years. I find it hard to believe his testimony that he does not understand accounting.

MANUEL "LITO" LAPID

• "Hindi ako nagmamarunong, ginagamit ko lang ang aking konsyensya,"

LOREN LEGARDA

• Through it, we, as public officials, earn public trust. Public trust is not simply an administrative entitlement by those in government.
• For public trust is earned through transparent, often voluntary, gestures of honesty by officials in question, and not solely by legal argumentation, no matter how sophisticated.
• In casting my vote, Mr. President, my chief concern is the credibility and trust of our people in the most important institution of our land, whose mandate is to interpret the law and render wise and fair judgment equally to all.
• It was not easy, it is painful, but we must do it.

SERGIO OSMENA III

• Corona had also betrayed public trust because he failed to abide by the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards of being a judge which the people must see the judge followed. 
• “Justice must not merely be done but must also be seen to be done

FRANCISCO "KIKO" PANGILINAN

•  “Anong masama na ideklara lahat kung walang itinatago?”
• Kung kaya niyang ipakita ang kawalan ng respeto sa 23 Senador nung siya ay nagtangkang magwalk-out, na sa aking paniwala ay napigil lamang dahil sa mabilis na kilos ng ating mahal na Senate President, ginawa sa harap mismo ng lahat ng media at buong bansa, paano kaya ang pagtrato niya sa maliliit nating mga kababayan na hindi mga Senador na dumudulog sa kanyang tanggapan para sa katarungan? 
• Siya ba ay mapagkakatiwalaan na rumespeto sa maliliit nating mga kababayan sa loob pa ng anim na taon?

AQUILINO "KOKO" PIMENTEL

• When there is “Sufficient Credible Evidence” to prove a constitutionally recognized ground for impeachment, then the impeached high government official must be REMOVED from office.
• There is no law exempting commingled funds from disclosure in the SALN.
• "Minarapat sana ng punong mahistrado na iwasan ang ganitong mga alanganing transaksyong pinansyal"
• "Hindi na nga iniwasan, ginagamit pang kasangkapan upang hindi tumupad sa kanyang tungkuling ilahad ang tunay niyang yaman"
• The duty of a public officer or employee to submit under oath a declaration of SALN is mandated by the Constitution
• An earlier law cannot be interpreted to nullify the purposes of a later law.
• When the law does not distinguish, neither should we distinguish!
• Simple lang, kung ayaw mong ilahad ang tunay mong yaman, huwag kang pumasok sa gobyerno!
• Ang patakarang pinatutupad para sa pangkaraniwang empleyado ng gobierno ay dapat ding ipatupad sa punong mahistrado.
• "Ang batas para kay Juan ay batas din para kay Renato!"

RAMON "BONG" REVILLA JR.

• "It is now time for our people and our nation to move forward. We must now set aside the hurt, our partisanship, and our differences so that we can unite and work together.
• "Ang pulitika, dapat 90 days lang sa nasyunal, at 45 days lang sa lokal. Pagkatapos niyan, wala na munang parti-partido kung ang pinag-uusapan ay ang kapakanan ng bayan. We are one with the campaign against corruption and supportive of government's efforts to uplift the country, but will continue to be watchful and ready to fiscalize.
• "Alang-alang sa pagkakaisa at paghilom ng ating bayan; alang-alang sa pagpapatibay ng mga institusyon ng ating pamahalaan; alang-alang sa mga darating pang henerasyon at ng ating kinabukasan; tayo po ay magkaisa at magtulungan."

MIRIAM DEFENSOR SANTIAGO

• "The executive and legislative branches are political in nature but the judicial branch is nonpolitical. If the chief justice is removed for political reasons, then that would be a signal that even the judicial branch has also become political. That would be the end of our democracy as we know it today."
• The defendant used his own name in all his questioned transactions. He could have done otherwise, if his purpose was invisibility. Why would a suspected criminal leave his calling cards at the scene of the crime?

FERDINAND "BONGBONG" MARCOS

• If there had been any violations of the law by the Chief Justice, these violations do not rise to the level of an impeachable offense.
• The lady justice wears a blindfold for a reason. She is to render judgment based on law and evidence, without regard to the circumstances and personalities of the parties involved --- however controversial they may be. She is to dispense justice without fear or favor

VICENTE "TITO" SOTTO

• Ang taumbayan ay naghahalal ng mga Senador mula sa iba't-ibang propesyon at estado ng lipunan, upang sila'y katawanin at bumigkas ng kanilang saloobin. Ang tunay na hukom sa paglilitis na ito ay ang taong bayan. Nadinig nila ang dalawang panig. Tulad namin, hindi sila lahat abogado. Ngunit ang kapangyarihan ng demokrasya ay nasa kanilang mga kamay. In my conscience I have heard their decision.