Miriam, private prosecutor engage in verbal tussle

(Updated 6:15 p.m.) The impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona was momentarily suspended on Wednesday afternoon after Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago engaged a private prosecutor in a heated debate over the prosecution's behavior toward the impeachment court.   During the 26th day of the impeachment trial, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada stood up to ask the identity of the private prosecutor who was covering his ears while Santiago was criticizing the prosecution for withdrawing the remaining Articles of Impeachment.   Chief prosecutor Niel Tupas Jr. identified the lawyer as Vitaliano Aguirre II, who admitted doing the act.   Estrada took Aguirre’s gesture as a sign of disrespect toward Santiago. "’Yun po ay isang kabastusan dito po sa isang miyembro ng hukom na ito.  Kung kayo naman po ay nagsasalita at kami naman po ay gumanun ano ho ang inyong mararamdaman?" he asked Aguirre.   Explaining his actuations, Aguirre took the podium and admitted that he tried to block the voice of Santiago by placing his hands on his ears because he was "hurt" by her statements.   "Alam po ninyo, totoo po ‘yun sapagkat nasasaktan na yung tenga ko," he said.   Santiago said he should have walked out of the courtroom if he did not want to listen to what she was saying. She added that Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano took a video of him covering his ears throughout her speech.   "You cannot make those contemptuous gestures in front of a judge and get away with it," she said.   Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, presiding officer of the impeachment court, allowed Aguirre to explain himself.   Aguirre said what Santiago was saying about the non-existence of withdrawals of charges was not true.   "Pero natural po ‘yun sa court practice, nangyayari po ‘yan araw-araw n’ung nagwi-withdraw ang isang abogado ng kanyang complaint o part ng kanyang complaint," he said. First in 40 years   "Your honor, please…. the first time that I experienced in my 40 years of practice na ang isang judge ay nagle-lecture sa mga abogado.  Hindi po yata tama ‘yung mga gan’un," he added.   Estrada asked why he did not object to what Santiago was saying.  Aguirre said he cannot object to a senator-judge.   At this point, Santiago moved that he be cited for contempt.   "Imagine if all the lawyers did that in front of the impeachment court, in front of the senator-judges… took the forum to express his opinions.  Kasi nga salungat sa gusto mo kaya ayaw mo pakinggan, kung ayaw mo pakinggan umalis ka sa korte," she said.   "Aalis na nga po sana ako. Aalis na po ako," Aguirre answered back.   When he was allowed to speak again, Aguirre said that even though Santiago was a judge and they were only prosecutors, she should have not talked to them that way.   "I really did it purposely because kasi totoo naman po na talagang shrill ang voice na nasasaktan ang tenga ko.  Ang pinakaimportante po sa isang tao ay respeto, kung nagde-demand ka ng respeto, dapat respetuhin mo rin ang mga abogadong ito," he said.   Enrile appealed to everyone to remain calm and suspended the session. Aguirre was escorted out of the Senate session hall and was brought to the prosecution room while the prosecutors talked to the senators.   Miriam to prosecutors: Waah!   Before the verbal tussle, Santiago criticized the prosecutors for allegedly bragging their “victory” despite dropping five charges against Corona.   “Sabi nyo malakas na malakas ang eight Articles of Impeachment [tapos] nung tatlo na lang, [sabi n’yo] tama ‘yan, panalo na kami. Waaah!” Santiago said.   “You [prosecution] have been misleading the court. I’m very concerned that the prosecution has been in very bad faith all along. You’ve been saying to the media, ‘Panalo na kami’. Kami ang magdedesisyon niyan, hindi kayo,” the lady senator added.   “Ang yayabang ng mga nagsasalita ng ganyan,” she further said.   Santiago, a former regional trial court judge, added that the prosecutors seemed to be conducting a trial by publicity.   “I have a very serious concern, nagbibiro ba kayo? Pagkatapos [n’yong mag-drop ng charges] walang explanation, [saying that your] case is very strong. You are pre-judging the case. Are conducting trial by publicity? … H‘wag niyo kaming ginaganyan-ganyan.”   “When I heard that you are dropping charges, I feel like creeping back to bed and adopting a fetal position," she added.   In another manifestation, Santiago scolded the prosecution for asking for time before they formally present evidence.   "Is it going to tax your IQs so much that you need until Friday to do this?" she said. "Susmaryosep where are your neurons? Your brains are very, very dark." - RSJ/KBK, GMA News