The Corona Impeachment Trial: Shut Up

Here's the thing about the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona: both sides should simply shut up and let the trial complete its course, since by continuing to speak out about merits and the flaws the trial, the opposing parties are obviously trying to exert outside influence on the trial.

On one side, President Noynoy Aquino and his merry men, particularly spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, continue to openly criticize CJ Corona and his alleged dollar deposits, and his apparent discrepancies in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN), in an all-out effort to compel Corona to make public his bank deposits.

The reason why the President and his merry men should simply keep quiet is that, more and more, it's looking like the main reason for the impeachment trial is that of political vendetta, rather than the anti-corruption drive the President has supposedly espoused since his inauguration.

On the other hand, Corona minces no words when he blasts the President and says right out that the primary reason for his being impeached is because the Supreme Court ruled that the President's family's land, Hacienda Luisita, should be distributed to the farmer-tenants. Corona also insinuated that a triumvirate is behind his impeachment; while he didn't name names, it's fairly clear that he was referring to the President, his running mate and Department of Transportation and Communiciation (DOTC) Secretary Mar Roxas, and Corona's colleague in the Supreme Court, Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.

The reason why Corona needs to keep quiet is that he doesn't do himself any favors when he tries to attack the President, who is far more popular than he. Instead of looking saintly and innocent, an image he has tried to push, the more he rants, the more he comes off as being defensive about what the prosecution is doing, and people will suspect his guilt all the more. Moreover, his rants are unbecoming of one who is Chief Justice, although, to be fair, the President's statements on the impeachment trial are equally as unbecoming.

What we need to remember is that there is a process for the impeachment trial, and, so far, only the prosecution has been presenting its 'evidence'. The defense is yet to present its evidence in defense of Corona. As it is, the prosecution has only shown evidence for two of the articles of impeachment, and is going to take a while to finish. Until then, if we are to show that we are maturing as a nation, the principal figures in the impeachment need to exercise sobriety and patience, and not resort to the court of public  opinion to make their respective cases.