@senmiriam is annoying

Over in the Get Real Philippine community Facebook Group, a rather lengthy thread erupted over a statement I had made about Senator Judge Miriam Defensor Santiago being "soooo annoying."

It was just one of those things I blurt out on Facebook, either on my own wall or on the wall of any group that I might be in.  It was just a casual observation that welled up and found its way to my fingertips which were at that time on the keyboard of my laptop while I was monitoring the Impeachment Trial yesterday.

Not more than five minutes into another episode of "Miriam Goes Mad", I found myself thinking "Don't people get tired of hearing her grating soliloquy on how she used to be a judge or authority on some legal matter?  Don't people get tired of hearing her screaming and howling at someone?"

A number of reporter friends who have covered the Senate say that Miriam adds spice to any proceeding and video of her going bonkers for one reason or another always gets people interested enough to watch.

She is amusing, as some would say.  And, that, I think, is the problem.  Senators are not supposed to be amusing, they are legislators and they should represent/work for the promotion of the interests of the people. One of the reasons why we have an Upper Chamber, I think, is to safeguard legislature from being too parochial or partisan -- not that it can be completely avoided.

Senator Miriam's outburst, which started with the Prosecution's withdrawal of several Impeachment Complaints and ended with having one of the private prosecutors cited in contempt, took up most of the day.  And in the midst of it all, I was wondering if her moment before the camera was actually moving anything forward or was she just preening before the cameras?

I think her previous outbursts was already successful in establishing the public perception that the Prosecution are a bunch of amateurs and that the Impeachment Complaint is faulty.  In fact, if there is anyone that can be credited for making Corona's acquittal publicly acceptable, it would be Miriam.

I don't know much about how judges are supposed to conduct themselves, but my impression is that judges decide upon the motions and issues brought before them.

They aren't supposed to attack or lend cause to be perceived to be attacking the case of either the prosecution or a defense in the guise of instilling order or "lecturing" either side on the intricacies of the law or rules of court.

And besides, on the 26th day of the Impeachment Trial, I think it's already a bit too late for any "lecture" to have any remedial value for the prosecution team.  As I said, the sight of Miriam lecturing the prosecution was like watching someone beating/flogging a dead horse -- which in simpler terms means what she is doing, apart from being cruel, is also useless.

But then again, maybe it's not so useless.

Miriam is already viewed as being biased, at least according to one survey cited by ABS-CBN News.  But what is confusing is exactly on whose side Miriam is:

Is Senator-judge Miriam Defensor-Santiago favoring the prosecution or the defense in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona? 

People think she is doing both, according to a national poll. 

A survey of 1,500 Filipino adults conducted by Laylo Research Strategies from January 28 to February 6 showed that 18% of respondents believe that Defensor-Santiago is biased against Corona. 

She topped the list of senators perceived as favoring the prosecution. The top 3 in the list include Franklin Drilon (11%) and Francis Escudero (5%). 

Around 39% said none of the senators favor the prosecutors.

Now, here's the thing. I haven't seen anything in the Senate's Rules of Procedure on Impeachment that talks about how a Senator Judge should conduct himself or herself with respect to either the prosecution or defense that would bar the showing of bias apart from observing "political neutrality" in Section III, Paragraph 3:

Senators shall observe political neutrality during the course of the impeachment trial. “Political neutrality” shall be defined as exercise of public official’s duty without unfair discrimination and regardless of party affiliation or preference.

Let's just hope, when it is the Defense panel's turn, our senator judges will be just as active in scrutinizing their arguments. 

Atty. Vitaliano Aguirre Threatened with Contempt for Covering Ears as Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago Lectures Prosecution

UPDATE: Impeachment Presiding OfficerJuan Ponce Enrile  cites Atty. Aguirre in contempt.

Atty. Vitaliano Aguirre caught the ire of several senators after he covered his ears as Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago was seen covering his ears.

In his defense, Aguirre said:

Aguirre: Totoo naman pong shrill ang voice, sumasakit ang tenga ko
Aguirre: Dapat po ang judges, kahit kami ay hamak lamang na prosecutor dito, ang importante po sa tao ay respeto
Aguirre: Kung nagdedemand ka ng respeto, dapat ay respetuhin mo rin ang abogado dito
Aguirre: Ang human dignity, wala pong patulan diyan. Santiago: Now he is lecturing me!

Does it really take One (1) Billion Pesos to run for President in the Philippines?

Senator Manuel Villar, who was Senate President until he was hit with the double insertion controversy, now again calls attention to his financial girth.

In a news report culled from Reuters, a lot is said about Villar's wealth:

Billionaire lawmaker eyes RP presidency

Reuters | 03/01/2009 4:05 PM

(Paragraph 2)

Manuel Villar, 59, has headed both the Senate and the House of Representatives in a political career that has lasted 17 years. His family owns Vista Land & Lifescapes, a real estate firm with assets worth 48 billion pesos ($1 billion).

(Paragraph 5)

Villar is viewed as a formidable candidate because of his ability to fund a costly election campaign that would need at least 2-3 billion pesos ($41-61 million), a huge sum for a country where nearly 50 percent of households live on less than $2 a day.

(Paragraph 6)

"I believe that while a lot of us will be announcing our candidacies, in the end there will just be a few who will remain," Villar said. "If you can't even raise one billion pesos, why even run?"

(Paragraph 10)

The son of a low-ranking government worker and a seafood vendor, Villar set up a construction supply firm that made him a peso millionaire at age 26. He later graduated to selling low-cost houses which swelled his total assets to the billion dollar mark just before the 1997/1998 Asian financial crisis.

As President, Villar says his first priority will be to raise government revenues:

(Paragraph 13)

"The first thing I want to do if I become president is to collect more revenue ... All of the solutions require money, so you start with that first," Villar said while sipping brewed coffee, one his few addictions. He drinks nine cups a day, his aide said.

What the eff is with this mention of coffee being one of his few addictions?  Is this a ploy similar to his TV commercial showing him holding a duck?

(Paragraph 14)

"If you have high revenues, then you can invest in infrastructure, you can invest in agriculture," Villar said, adding widespread corruption in the country would be reduced if wages of government workers were raised.

(Paragraph 15)

Despite being the country's wealthiest legislator, with more than 1 billion pesos in personal assets, Villar is known for his mild manner and simple tastes.

(Paragraph 26)

"With me, what you see is what you get," he said. "With some candidates, you'll have to ask, who's behind you? They say there is one golden rule, he who has the gold rules."

The last paragraph says that if he wins as President, he will be accountable only to himself since he financed all of his campaign expenses.  But perhaps, and this I think will be closer to the truth, he will be accountable only to Cynthia -- the rich wife.

As far as revenue raising is concerned, we have to give it to Villar and allow me to remind you of one such method of revenue raising:

Opposition in disarray as Lacson attacks Villar

By Fel V. Maragay

THE opposition in the Senate lay splintered yesterday over accusations by Senator Panfilo Lacson that Senate President Manuel Villar inserted P200 million in double financing for a road expansion project.

In a privilege speech aired live on radio and TV, Lacson said he was not out to wreck Villar’s plan to run for president in 2010 by exposing irregularities in the national budget.

“I simply followed the narrow trail and it led me to you, Mr. Senate President. But I have no political motive whatsoever. This has nothing to do with your plan to run in 2010 nor with your Senate presidency,” Lacson said.

Before Lacson’s address, Senator Jamby Madrigal urged Villar, an opposition member like herself, to resign as Senate president. Villar ignored her call.

In his address, Lacson also said several senators inserted P4.1 billion worth of infrastructure and other projects under the 2008 national budget, but he questioned a P3.4-billion lump sum for similar projects.

He also urged further investigation to determine who proposed the double insertion and who would benefit from the C-5 road project.

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago, vice chairman of the Senate finance committee, called for “a manhunt for the criminal missing” lawmaker who inserted the double entry.

But Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, chairman of the finance committee, confirmed that it was Villar who made the insertion but doubted whether he intended to benefit from the act

If Villar becomes the President, instead of having "two roads for the price of one" we will have "twice the price for just one". 

But, then again, why is Villar setting his PR machinery to churn out articles about his supposed billions of pesos?  I hope he doesn't go Eddie Gil on us and propose to pay up the National Debt when he wins.

On another note, and I may be taking the law a bit too literally here, but doesn't the Omnibus Election Code say that candidates for any position are only allowed to spend P5.00 (five pesos) per voter?

Granting that he is running for a national position and estimating the total number of voters to be around 42 million come 2010, this would mean that candidates would only be allowed to spend around P210 million.

Where is he going to spend the rest of his P 2 Billion or P3 Billion?

Another thing we may want to figure out is, whether the money he is now spending for what is obviously pre-campaign period campaigning will be deducted from the P 210 Million campaign expense cap imposed by the Omnibus Election Code?

Will Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago please speak up.