Spotlight on the Senator-judges - by GEMMA BAGAYAUA MENDOZA

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MANILA, Philippines - Beyond the legal gobbledygook, the fate of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona ultimately depends on the 23 men and women now comprising the Philippine Senate.

As one senator-judge, Antonio Trillanes IV, puts it, the burden of proof or quantum of evidence required to convict Corona is "at the discretion" of each Senator. 

Who are the Senator-judges? What factors can affect decisions they make during and after the trial?

Rappler compiled quick facts concerning each of the Senators which might interest you:

Profession

• 12 of the 23 senators are not lawyers - Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile leads lawyer-lawmakers in the impeachment court. The others are Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, Edgardo Angara, Joker Arroyo, Pia Cayetano, Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Franklin Drilon, Francis Escudero, Teofisto Guingona III, Francis Pangilinan and Aquilino Pimentel III. 

THE BARRISTERS. Only 11 of the 23 senator-judges are lawyers

• In terms of profession, the second biggest cluster in this Senate are the actors. There are 4 of them: Senator Jinggoy Estrada, Manuel "Lito" Lapid, Ramon Revilla Jr., and Vicente Sotto III.
• Then you have 3 senators with backgrounds in business: Manuel Villar II, Sergio Osmeña III and Ralph Recto, 2 former soldiers: Gregorio Honasan II and Antonio Trillanes IV; and a broadcast journalist: Loren Legarda.

HOW WILL THEY VOTE? Of the 23 senators, 4 are actors, 3 have backgrounds in business, 2 are former soldiers, 1 is a former policeman, 1 is a broadcast journalist 

Role in previous impeachment moves

• 7 senators were senator-judges in the aborted impeachment trial of former President Joseph Estrada. They are Defensor-Santiago, Drilon, Ponce-Enrile, Honasan, Legarda, Osmeña and Sotto. Of these, 4 voted against the opening of the 2nd envelope from Equitable-PCIbank which triggered the prosecutors' walkout: Defensor-Santiago, Ponce-Enrile, Honasan and SottoWINNERS AND LOSERS. Incumbent senator-judges who played roles in the Estrada impeachment and how they fared in the 2001 elections

• One senator, Joker Arroyo, served as prosecutor during the Estrada trial, while another senator, then House Speaker Manuel Villar Jr., played a key role in quickly elevating the complaint to the Senate.
• Senator Francis Escudero was a staunch defender of Estrada and was among those who tried to block his impeachment. He was a signatory, however, in the impeachment complaint against former Chief Justice Hilario Davide. 

Age

Those who were able to watch the hearings of the Estrada trial from December 2000 to January 2001 would recall that they extended until late in the evening. In contrast, the hearings on the Corona trial tend to end early; one hearing ended at 4:30 pm - on Valentine's Day, which happened to be the 88th birthday of Enrile.

There are those who suspect that the frequent early suspension of the hearings has something to do with age:

• 10 senators may be legally classified as senior citizens: they include Villar (62); Honasan, Lacson, and Sotto who are all 63 years old; Defensor-Santiago and Drilon who are both 66; Osmeña (68); Angara (77); and 2 octagenarians: Arroyo (85) and Enrile (88).

SENIORS ALL. Ten of the senator-judges are senior citizens. Two are octagenarians

• 9 senators are in their 40s: Estrada, Pangilinan, and Recto (all 48 years old); Pimentel (47); Revilla and Pia Cayetano (both 45); Escudero (42), Alan Cayetano (41), and the youngest is 40-year old Antonio Trillanes III.

• The remaining 4 senators are in their 50s: Guingona, Lapid, Marcos and Legarda.

Alliances:

• 6 senators supported President Aquino when he ran for president in 2010: Drilon, Escudero, Guingona, Pangilinan, Recto, and Osmeña. However, not all of them supported his running mate, Manuel Roxas II. Escudero supported Jejomar Binay.
• 3 senators are members of the Nacionalista Party. They include Aquino's biggest rival during that race, Manuel Villar Jr. and his partymates, the Cayetano siblings.
• Legarda was Villar's running mate during the 2010 elections, but she is also associated with the bloc of Angara who, incidentally, also supported Villar in 2010.
• Enrile is the former boss of Honasan. Both were implicated in coup attempts against Aquino's mother, then President Corazon Aquino. Honasan, for his part, was also regarded as a mentor by another senator, fellow soldier Antonio Trillanes IV. 

Political future

Actions by some senators in the widely televised Estrada impeachment trial affected the outcome of their reelection bids in 2001. Defensor-Santiago and Enrile both lost their respective reelection bids after voting against the opening of the second envelope from Equitable-PCIBank.

Arroyo and Villar, on the other hand, capitalized on their roles in the Estrada impeachment to launch their Senate bids.

• 6 senators may run for reelection in May 2013:

REELECTIONISTS. These senators may still run for reelection when their terms end in 2013: Koko Pimentel, Antonio Trillanes IV, Loren Legarda, Gregorio Honasan, Alan Peter Cayetano, Chiz Escudero

• 5 will also end their term that year but are barred from running again: Angara, Arroyo, Lacson, Pangilinan and Villar.

WHERE WILL THEY GO NEXT? Senators Kiko Pangilinan, Manny Villar, Edgardo Angara, Panfilo Lacson and Joker Arroyo will "graduate" from the Senate in 2013

On the other hand, 12 senators may not be swayed much by tactical considerations for now, since they will remain in office until 2016. They are: Pia Cayetano, Defensor-Santiago, Drilon, Estrada, Enrile, Guingona, Lapid, Marcos, Osmeña, Recto, Revilla and Sotto. - Rappler.com (Illustrations by Emil Mercado)

cuevas

sensationalism is irresponsible journalism.




very true indeed

Bizarre Opinion that Counts: Upcoming May 2010 Elections

Vetallano Acosta of KBL

Out in the wild, he’s one of those trying their luck without doing anything. As expected the Liberal Party wants his name out of the ballots. Or else, Aquino won’t have a hand over undecided voters. Nobody denies that whoever is first in the ballot list might have a chance of being voted upon randomly. E.g. I have some classmates in Accountancy who chose Accountancy out of the mere reason that it’s the first line in list. The latest thing about him is that he is declared a nuisance candidate by COMELEC. Who knows if that declaration might be reversed by some illegal means, anyway, there’s nothing static in our bureaucracy.

Benigno Aquino of Liberal Party                        

Cory Magic did it all, people say. Very true indeed, as I don’t think this man has convinced me that he was prepared to face the challenges in the wild. He sure got a lot of sure supporters. Old friends and colleagues of his late parents, actresses and actors, people who sympathize… Well, is he worth their efforts? Maybe so. Perhaps, another coup d’état is waiting if he becomes the president. But one thing I’m sure is that, with him as president, our economy will just be stagnant. He, per se, has not much of the conviction a president of a country must have. He’s a weak person, by nature. Can’t be blamed because he’s the only male among Cory’s children… Further, his platforms are not very realistic. Especially when he said that he’s not going to escalate the taxes. Though his pronouncements are not realistic, I think his persona is considered to be better than his counterparts. Obviously, many of us believe that he’s much more of that innocent type. And, I’m one of them.

John Carlos de los Reyes of Ang Kapatiran

Councillor aspiring to be a president, not a bad dream! On top of that, he’s not that known in the political arena. I don’t think this person will win. In my point of view, he’s just seeking publicity. It would be a lot better if he just pursued a dream in senatorial race rather than in the presidential race. Well, that’s just my opinion; maybe the rain will have a red tint next time around.

Joseph Estrada of PMP

Unlike South Korean President Roh Moo-Hyun, this man is not of the same stint. After his infamous downfall, he’s now back to political arena as if nothing happened before. As if he was not convicted of a crime. He claims that he was running because he wants to rescue the poor. Tut…tut…there are many ways to help the poor. One of the ways is building a business through his amassed wealth. A business can rescue the poor people by giving away jobs. Donations and giveaways are not beneficial in the long run. Well, forgive me for my bias; I don’t think actors can make up an effective bureaucracy. Inasmuch, as he had held many different stairway positions before, I still don’t believe this man can manoeuvre our country during global recession.

Richard Gordon of Bagumbayan

Well, this man seems like an innocent type, no doubt. Some people tend to credit him on account of the boom of both WOW Philippines and Subic Bay. But I don’t think he must take credit for the both. Philippines has too much tourist attractions, enough for the foreigners to flock. Further, I think he has a lot of easier ways to scoop up indecent funds. Moreover, I don’t think the positions he had held previously are enough to make him a viable presidential candidate.

Jamby Madrigal, an independent candidate

Roses among the thorns, haha. I think she’s better for a senatoriable but not a presidentiable. But one thing I’m sure is that, she is not a pro-poor. For me, she’s just the known consistent opposition for Villar.

Nicanor Perlas, also an independent candidate

I do not know much about this candidate, maybe because he’s not that popular. Maybe he has got a lot of money to spend. I think he’s just another candidate for publicity only. But who knows? Of course, I don’t want to spoil their hopes.

Gilbert Teodoro of LAKAS-KAMPI

This candidate convinces me most. I believe in lawyers, although they have an ability to circumvent laws. Aside from his good looks, I think the positions he held previously are viable enough for him to become a president. Also, among the candidates he has the cleanest record if you are going to investigate the websites, broadsheets, magazines and tabloids. Untainted credibility is an important factor for choosing a president.

Eduardo Villanueva of Bangon

Separation of Church and State could not possibly be fulfilled, if this person becomes the president. Mainly because this person owes majority of his support from the church constituents. Naturally, he would return those voting and supporting favors. But aside from such, I don’t see too much constraint to his being a presidential candidate. Further, if this candidate wins, then he would be the first in the Philippine history to be a pastor-president. I think his morals are not to be questioned because of his association with the Church.

Manuel Villar of Nacionalista Party

Rags to riches story of Villar seems plausible for me, but not without illegality involved, I believe. This candidate is a shrewd businessman, and by that he could also be a shrewd official. Who knows what methods he is going to employ? Perhaps, it’s would be a never-before-seen tactic. As we all know, it’s difficult for a person to serve two masters. In running for the presidential elections, he’s preparing to serve two masters, his stockholders and his countrymen. Who do you think would he serve better? Would there be conflict of interest? Perhaps. We’ll see.

How about you? What’s your opinion? Blog it. J