Belated authorization to release SALNs: damage control

On January 18, Supreme Court clerk of court Enriqueta Esguerra-Vidal surprisingly brought to the impeachment court the previously undisclosed statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALNs) of Chief Justice Renato Corona. She must have acted upon the advice of a lawyer-son who accompanied her to the Senate to comply with a subpoena served on her mother and not the Supreme Court.

Vidal eventually “surrendered” the SALNs, in effect denying the high court the opportunity of redeeming itself for the prompt release of the crucial documents. Earlier, she manifested that the Supreme Court has to rule on the release of the SALNs on Jan. 24 2012 yet. Vidal may not be a Clarissa Ocampo, but she performed a patriotic act, a rarity these days.

Interestingly, within minutes of the SALNs turnover, the eloquent and dapper defense spokespersons announced that Corona had authorized the release of his SALNs—an attempt at damage control for the tribunal’s failure to take advantage of a rare opportunity to win public sympathy. A major television network even flashed on television that fateful day the “breaking news”: “SC authorizes release of SALN.”

Surprisingly, the highly eminent retired Justice Serafin Cuevas was reported to have bewailed the role of Sen. Franklin Drilon in the release of the SALNs “without authorization from the high tribunal.” (“Defense decries Drilon rescue,” Inquirer, 1/20/ 12) Was there a failure of coordination between the defense panel and its efficient communications team? The conflicting views stretched public credulity.

Does it really matter to the public that in the search for truth, the SALNs were extracted through the skillful questions of a senator? Presiding Senator-judge Juan Ponce Enrile said witness Vidal is an intelligent person: “Let the witness answer.”

Inquirer columnist Neal Cruz correctly noted that the prosecution was weakened by the impeachment court’s decision confining the role of private prosecutors.

(“Impeachment trial crawling like a snail,” Inquirer, 1/20/12) The Estrada prosecution team had a wider leeway, and was privileged by the presence of Simeon Marcelo, Mario Bautista and the Sanidad brothers to help out then Rep. Joker Arroyo and other House prosecutors.

Let us not demean and ridicule the Corona prosecution team. Let not an avalanche of defense technicalities overwhelm the impeachment trial of Corona. The purpose of the trial is to find out the truth, not to show how smart the lawyers are, Cruz rightly noted.

—MANUEL QUADRA BONDAD,

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