After the CJ Corona trial...
By aubrey
@averygirl72 (37748)
Philippines
May 30, 2012 5:34am CST
Honestly, at first I want to have sympathy with CJ Corona but after how he presented himself and the way he act during the trial, I am so convinced that indeed he is guilty, the fact that he converted his wealth to dollar accounts and does not want the public to know it is indeed a suspicious thing to do.
Lots of people are actually bragging about their properties and wealth when they declare their SALN but this time he wants it to be private.
I am so happy for the way Senator Judges do their job. The 21 senators that voted to convict CJ should be voted again next election and the 3 who did not vote obviously should not be elected. Now I have trust in our government officials again. I hope many corrupt officials will be put on trial like Corona until we completely remove a lot of them.
2 people like this
7 responses
@erjnsimon (1191)
• Makati, Philippines
30 May 12
I have no bad feelings about the conviction of cj corona but i would like to vote for acquit in favor with arroyo, santiago, and marcos.
There is just one thing that i want to suggest to the current administration. Let just the supreme court to decide who will be in replacement for corona. Else, the same thing will happen after the current administration. The president must not control the supreme court i think.
In addition, i do believe that politics is the reason why does corona was convicted. Also, I don't like the current administration. Haha. I am just waiting for the new Marcos administration.
@SIMPLYD (90722)
• Philippines
30 May 12
Yes, the new CJ should not be an appointee of the president. That will again be doubted by the people as an advocate of the president.
We have now an acting CJ. I hope they can find the replacement soon. 
@penrockerchic (1903)
• Philippines
30 May 12
I am sorry to disagree with you on this but I would have to go with the other three senators. They upheld the law and what was written. Santiago's speech was clearly stated and she said something about the evidence being enough to have CJ Corona impeached. Although I honestly believe that Corona is corrupt like many other government officials, but the way the trial was handled was a joke. I don't want to talk about the things I have discerned and learned from the trial, but I have to say, that those three senator judges decided according to the law and not to what makes them popular. What I really hated about the whole Corona trial was the whole publicity and how other senators had to share their personal experiences during their speeches. They had their own political agenda especially since election is in just a year or so. They voted according to what they think would appeal to the masses and not to what have transpired throughout the trial. Anyway, I still believe Corona should be convicted but I really applaud the other three senators who stood by with what they believed with no political agenda whatsoever. Just saying.
@penrockerchic (1903)
• Philippines
31 May 12
Well, I think that's what we all want. We want our elected officials to do their job properly and not make a fool out of us. The thing is, there were more cases that needed urgent attention like that of the massacre in Mindanao, but it's been three years since that incident. Now, where are the officials like the Ampatuan who are to be tried in court and all that? We haven't heard from that right? And I think that the reason why they don't seem to be tried in court and be brought to justice is because a lot of these officials in the senate will jeopardize their candidacy in Mindanao and since Ampatuans have great influence, they seem too be untouchable still. Now ,. here's Corona, popular and all and what can they get from him if he gets convicted in an impeachment trial? A lot actually. Sorry if I had to air some things out. I'm just really tired of all these political agendas they have.
@jeanneyvonne (5501)
• Philippines
31 May 12
I still believe that the trial was more of the political rather than the legal. yes, there were legal citations but I feel in my gut that if it was any other court, it would have bee starking different. The only thing that this trial proved is that there are still people who respect and uphold the law and it their political agendas. however, it also pointed out personalities who are solely there for purposes of politics. Not that I blamed them but I would still want to get my share of meat off them. Then again, we're talking about self-righteous politician and not statement.
The oil thing that matters is the reforms. The word transparency was brought up so often that they sound lie a broke record but I believable that this is just a shoe of force in the beginning. Call me a pessimist but there is such thing as ningas kugon.
Like everybody, we should move forward but not without the lessons we learned form the trial. Discern the political leaders and people in government and see if they deserved each cent we're paying them.
@averygirl72 (37748)
• Philippines
31 May 12
No, that is okay I want people to challenge my beliefs and I do not want everyone to agree with me. Actually, I have not thought of that side of the story so I will keep what you said for future reference as I look closely at this issue.
It is really hard to tell until now. I just hope that these leaders we elected are really doing their jobs and not making fool of us.
It is really hard to tell until now. I just hope that these leaders we elected are really doing their jobs and not making fool of us.
@rsa101 (37968)
• Philippines
31 May 12
Well I guess if he were a private citizen then he could do it privately but since he is a public figure he is obliged to report that in his saln. I think that part of him he forgot that he was working for the government and is required to report this. Maybe if it is just a few thousand dollars he could have been given the chance but the thing is it is in millions already. The co mingled funds could have been reported as his liability so that it is still reported in his saln but he did not bother reporting it. I think his accountants are not that aware of the law and lightly took it easy since he was the CJ after all who would have expected that he would be exposed this way.
I am happy with the results as well but I think prosecution did it badly. If not for those declaration of CJ they could have failed to convict CJ. I do not credit the success to Congress for this.
@rsa101 (37968)
• Philippines
1 Jun 12
Probably if he was not a crony of GMA probably he would be in private practice living privately. If you would notice he only started to rise high during his stint with the Arroyo's term and his name was really clean and tight. Maybe there would be no impeachment and he is not even a Chief Justice perhaps.
It all started when he was appointed by GMA which was not supposed to be. If GMA had not chosen the new CJ then I think he would not be chosen by the incoming administration.
@visavis (5934)
• Philippines
30 May 12
Yes it is sound familiar from the beginning that acquital is in the path until in the time CJ itself stand for witness - as the Senator judged get all the ideas of their verdict.
In your idea whether the 3 senators voted acquitted having a chance or you said should not to vote again in the next election. I think your right because if you can see all of them are GMA tail. However, if you can based on their performance in other way they are good to be stayed... see you around
@averygirl72 (37748)
• Philippines
31 May 12
Hmm...probably you are right. It is really hard to tell who is just playing or fooling around or who is sincere and honest. Up to this time I have sympathy for Corona but anyway he has dollar accounts he can start life all over again.
@averygirl72 (37748)
• Philippines
31 May 12
I also heard about that issue. Actually most of them should really be put on trial like Corona and have all of us know how much money they have accumulated for themselves.
@averygirl72 (37748)
• Philippines
13 Jun 12
That is right. The reason only is that, if you are on trial, though you have the right to keep your dollar account secret, at the time of trial you need to show it, if you are hiding something you won't show it.
@Jenith (1381)
• Philippines
31 May 12
Senator Meriam Santiago was right when he said that SALN must not be the only basis for a government official to know if he's corrupt or not because you can put your money to someone you trust and not under your name. You can also withdraw your money before you submitted your SALN to show that you have less money on your account.
@freymind (1351)
• Philippines
31 May 12
I disagree on you saying that the 3 of the senators who didn't vote for CJ as guilty should not be elected again. Remember that most of these senators especially Bong Bong Marcos have done a great job when he started in politics. It doesn't mean that they are Arroyo's puppet that is why they found CJ not guilty. You should have weighed in the reason why they didn't voted in the first place.
Voting for politicians shouldn't just be about what they have done once but what they have done on their whole career as a public servant. Filipinos right now should be smart enough to think about that and not just go for the hype.
Its good that even one corrupt official is going to be sentenced for what he did. Let's hope that this is not the last and that they will do this for corrupt officials that are still in the government under the new leadership.
