Miriam: Some lawmakers in prosecution panel deserve spanking

Instead of “respect,” some members of the House of Representatives in the prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona deserve a spanking for not doing their homework, a senator-judge said Thursday. Senator Miriam Santiago stressed this amid calls of House majority leader Neptali Gonzales II for a “modicum of respect” during the hearings. "Hindi sila nag-aaral, kumbaga sa estudyante dapat paluin ang puwit nila ng ruler dahil hindi sila gumagawa ng homework," she said in an interview on dzBB radio. Santiago refused to dignify claims of some of the lawmakers in the prosecution team they were offended by the way some senator-judges had berated them at the impeachment trial, which is covered live on radio and TV. Besides, she said they should know why some senator-judges had lost their patience with them. "Hindi ko sila sasagutin. Why will I be on the defensive? Sila ang sumagot bakit nagalit ang judge sa kanila," she said. On Wednesday, Gonzales said “We agree to disagree, but we have to maintain some modicum of respect. ‘Yan lang ang aming panawagan… Para na kaming hindi mga congressman nito." Even House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said he was “really hurt” with the way the Senate treated the prosecution team after it decided to reject two witnesses in the impeachment trial. But Santiago dismissed the claim, saying it smacked of an attempt at controlling the senator-judges. Also, shje said senator-judges would be better off being lapdogs if they agreed to change their attitude at the say-so of one of the parties in the case. "Pati personalidad namin ngayon kokontrolin nila? Ganyan ang personalidad ko since bata ako ... (Kung) mga judges pala pwede kontrolin ng abogado... maski kagaguhan ginagawa sa harap [papayagan mo], bakit ka pa naging judge? Magpakatuta ka na lang," she said. Santiago also scored anew some members of the prosecution, who she said were simply not ready. On occasion, she said she had to lecture them on how to lay the foundation of their case. "Kasi sa korte 'pag nakita namin masyadong bagito ang abogado, masyadong tagilid ang kaso, payag ang Korte Suprema na pwede namin turuan ang prosecutor so I took over," she added. (In court, if we see a lawyer is so lost and confused, the high court allows us to lecture the prosecutor. So I took over.) Not changing style Also in an interview by dzBB's Mike Enriquez, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile – the presiding officer in the case – said he is not changing his style, despite the claims of some lawmakers in the prosecution panel. Enrile said he cannot allow the impeachment court to accept defective arguments. "Napapansin din ng mga tao ang aming kamalian. Tinatanggap namin yan. Pero paano naman, ano bang gusto nilang gawin namin? Kahit mali e tatanggapin namin?" he said. "Hindi ko mapapalitan yan (I cannot change my style). Talagang kung pupunta sila sa husgado..., ipakita nila may parada sila. Ang tagal na, ilang araw na kami, sinabihan na namin sila na ayusin nila ang pagprisinta ng ebidensya. Ako na mismo nagtatanong ng [clarificatory] questions...  para akong nagiging abogado sa panig nila,"  he added, when asked if he was willing to change his style. But he stressed that as a presiding officer, he also has to consider the defense's position. "Hindi puwedeng kikiling ako maski kanino (I cannot favor one over the other) ... I cannot please anybody," he said. — LBG, GMA News