Joker, Bongbong criticize move to oust Corona 

Even as they are expected to act as senator-judges in an impeachment trial next year, opposition Senators Joker Arroyo and Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. on Tuesday criticized the move to oust Chief Justice Renato Corona from his post.  In separate interviews, Arroyo and Marcos said the administration's initiative reeked of autocracy.  "The negative effect of this is that President [Benigno] Aquino would achieve being an autocract without having to declare martial law. It is a bid for power disguised under the claim of transparency and clean government," Arroyo told reporters.

 

On Monday night, the House of Representatives impeached Corona for alleged graft and corruption, culpable violation of the Constitution, and betrayal of public trust.

 

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives transmitted the Articles of impeachment to the Senate.   The trial is expected to take place next month, as Congress takes its Christmas break this week. Full control of government

 

In the interview, Arroyo said he was worried that if Corona is removed from office, it will effectively give Aquino almost full control of the government.

 

He explained that the President already controls the executive and most of the legislative branches. With Corona out of the way, the Bicolano senator said Aquino would be able to control the judiciary, too.

 

"We will have an Aquino court rather than an [former President Gloria Macapagal] Arroyo court.  Who opposes now the government? No one. One man will control the government," he said.

 

A human rights lawyer, Arroyo noted that even the late President Ferdinand Marcos had to declare martial law to be able to achieve this.

 

"By stroke of genius, the President will be able to control the government without having to declare martial law," he added. 

 

The younger Marcos, for his part, said the Supreme Court is just "the flavor of the month excuse for the shortcomings of this [Aquino] administration." 

 

"The problem with blaming or needing scapegoats is if, say, the CJ is successfully removed from his office, does that make this administration any more competent than it is?" he lamented. 

 

"Will that automatically make them better at alleviating poverty? Better in governance and providing basic services and bringing down the crime rate? Will it improve the economy? Or do we again look for a new scapegoat? The sooner we admit to our own shortcomings, the quicker it will be to correct them. The more we stay with the blame game, the deeper the hole in which we are in becomes," he added.

 

Still, Marcos said that he will decide on the impeachment case "based solely on what [he] believe[s] to be fair and just whether it be popular or not." 

 

"That's what I owe the people [who] voted for me. That's what I can give to my country," he said.

 

Meanwhile, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said she was concerned because some of the senators were not lawyers and may have difficulty in standing as judges of the impeachment court.

 

"My fear is these senators [who] do not study... it will be their legal assistants who will in effect decide the case," she said.

 

The impeachment trial is expected to begin next year.  

Santiago had won a seat in the International Criminal Court (ICC).  But she said that she will still be able to participate in the impeachment trial because the ICC won't summon her immediately. She is expected to take oath in March 2012. — RSJ, GMA News