President meddling in impeachment trial, why not?

This is in reaction to the Inquirer editorial of Jan. 27, “Did P-Noy meddle?” An impeachment is a national inquest that cannot exclude anyone like the president, our No. 1 political animal.

President Aquino, duty-bound, meddled in then Chief Justice Renato Corona’s conviction. Hooray! He never recognized Corona’s midnight appointment, which was sanctioned by the Gloria Arroyo Supreme Court—but overturned by the people via impeachment.

The Senate is not an impeachment jury that may not be tampered. Impeachment deals with offenses so serious and enormous as to strike at the very life or the orderly workings of the government, which means everyone is welcome to meddle or  makialam. Save the No. 1 political animal? Weird that politicians discuss the national interest?

Even then, I questioned Corona’s remarkable acceptance of pro bono help from arguably brown-nosing lawyers with cases in the Supreme Court, as in stark violation of Rule 5.04 of the Code of Judicial Conduct, which says: “A judge or any immediate member of the family shall not accept a gift, bequest, factor or loan from any one except as may be allowed by law.”

What law allows Corona to accept that gift? Corona is not indigent.

Had he not decided to shoot himself in the foot by testifying—thus validating that a lawyer who defends himself has a fool for a client—he might have survived; one would dread fighting a lawyer in the Supreme Court headed by Corona, who would know how to be grateful to his pro bono lawyers.

But unlike when I was a very young lawyer, after Marcos and Arroyo ravaged and savaged the system and our values and institutional arrangements, how many of us, lawyers, today can tell ethics from a hole in the ground?

—RENE A.V. SAGUISAG,

ravslaw@gmail.com