punto-por-punto-jimeno-explains-objection-corona-appointment (Click for youtube video)
The attack on Chief Justice Corona’s defense panel spokesperson Karen Jimeno – that since she was against the midnight appointment of Corona, she should also be for his impeachment — by the PNoy horde shares the same characteristics as most of the actions of the Prosecution in this trial; i.e., irrelevant and immaterial.
Like most independent-minded people, myself included, Jimeno opposed the midnight appointment of Corona and other people. But the Supreme Court itself decided that the President CAN appoint a Chief Justice even within 2 months of a coming presidential elections.
Fr. Bernas, one of the framers of the Constitution wrote in May 2010: “I can understand why Senator Noynoy Aquino is not rejoicing about Corona’s appointment. But I am sure that he is wise enough to realize that he cannot have everything he desires. There is just constitutionally no way that Corona can be ousted from his post now.”
One and a half years later, now President Noynoy Aquino managed to convince his underlings in the House and the Senate that there might be a way, after all, to oust Corona from his post — through impeachment!
The problem is that being a midnight appointee, especially if appointment has been upheld by the Supreme Court itself, could never be an impeachable offense.
Jimeno, like many other Filipinos, might not have agreed with Corona’s midnight appointment but as Fr. Bernas noted, there was no way to get around it once the Supreme Court decided on the matter. Period.
The impeachment trial now at hand is a totally different matter. People like Jimeno, who were once AGAINST Corona’s midnight appointment, now believe that the Articles of Impeachment against Corona simply do not hold water.
Postprandial Musings, 2.0 