The ProPinoy Project

Back to Front

Doy Santos aka The Cusp — Thu, 17 May 2012 02:16:32 +0000

With revelations of bank transactions involving staggering sums attached to a certain Renato Corona unveiled at the impeachment trial of the Chief Justice who bears the same name, some commentators have come to the conclusion that the Philippines has turned a corner in its path towards good governance.

There was that piece by EdselTupaz (not to be confused with Rep Niel Tupas, Jr.) a private prosecutor for the House panel and Daniel Wagner a country risk consultant, ‘The Fall of the Mighty and the Rise of Justice in the Philippines‘, which waxes poetic and sounds a bit triumphalist. It claims that the Supreme Court ruling on Hacienda Luisita and the proceedings at the impeachment court have revamped the image of the country before the investment community, which is why its sovereign ratings have been upgraded.

“The proof will be in the pudding however;” Tupaz and Wagner warned, “for the justice system to truly be able to say that it has turned a corner, Mr. Corona and Ms. Arroyo need to be sent to prison, and stay there, rather than being able to buy their way out.” And therein lies the problem, since the way the trial has unravelled shows not how the system is finally working, but rather that it is operating back to front. I am referring to the way in which evidence has been gathered which may weaken the case against the accused if and when the proceedings shift from the impeachment court to the anti-graft one.

The most damning pieces of evidence presented in the trial so far have been those relating to peso and dollar accounts that the prosecution claims were owned by the Chief Justice but not included in his statements of net worth. Documentary proof of the accounts was first leaked to the prosecution team and subsequently found to have been obtained unlawfully. Despite this, however, the court ruled to admit them as evidence claiming that its procedures were sui generis or one of a kind.

When advised of this ruling, the bank in question sought and gained an injunction from the Supreme Court to prevent the disclosure of the dollar accounts which under Presidential Decree 1035 could only be examined with the written consent of the account holder. The Ombudsman seemed to have found a way around this by going to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) which was set up to monitor the flows of large or suspicious amounts in the banking system.

Having the constitutional mandate to investigate all public officials, including impeachable ones, and armed with the power to request help from other government agencies in this regard, she had secured a dossier from the AMLC detailing transactions involving not only the bank in question, but others as well, which formed part of her testimony at the impeachment court. While the defence had sought to grill her on the means by which she had obtained them (had she gained a court order for instance), the Senate President ruled that such questioning was immaterial and that the regularity of official actions was presumed.

No one among the senator-judges objected to this ruling at the time, since the testimony of the Ombudsman had been highly anticipated. This anticipation had been built up to the point that if the evidence had been suppressed, it would have been likened to the case of the second envelope containing the infamous Jose Velarde account during the trial of President Joseph Estrada which led to the second People Power revolt that toppled him.

It dawned upon some judges the day after they had been treated to a visual presentation of the forensic analysis conducted by the Ombudsman with help from the Commission on Audit the ease with which such a dossier could be compiled. In the age of digital computing technology, the beast that they created, namely the AMLC could potentially devour them and all political foes of any sitting president. ‘Morales’ Powers Feared‘ one headline read referring to the Office of the Ombudsman.

In a piece entitled He Who is Without a False SALN, Let Him Cast the First Vote, I tried to make the point that given how prevalent the practice of doctoring one’s statement of net worth is, that if the same standard of probity were enforced across the board, perhaps no individual in government would come out squeaky clean. Indeed whenever the letter of the law is applied to any single individual, the reaction often is “why me?” which inevitably leads to allegations of conspiracy on the part of the accuser (implying that the law is not being applied equally to all).

Some senator-judges not formally aligned with the Palace in seeking to adjudicate the case fairly probed the Ombudsman as to whether the assumption the court had made regarding the regularity of official functions was indeed justified. ‘Morales’ Acts Illegal?‘ was the rhetorical device posted by one news daily. ‘Blitzkrieg’ was how another labelled the situation.

The Ombudsman admitted at the trial that she did not deem it necessary to gain a court order before requesting the information from the AMLC and presenting it before the public. How could she, if in this case, the only valid court was the Senate? Such a pre-requisite would have been circuitous if not back to front in the investigative process (meaning you normally gather evidence first before charging someone), but that is what the law prescribes as a safeguard to protect the defendant’s rights.

As I have said previously, the only way to address the issue would be to relax our bank secrecy and anti-wiretapping laws and grant the Ombudsman powers to inspect bank accounts and conduct audio surveillance. Without such changes, the office might continue to suffer the dismal conviction rate that it has. But to get the support of Congress for such measures will be difficult since as we have seen it will be loath to adopt them because of their potentially adverse impact on its political independence.

Perhaps all that is needed to get the proposals enacted would be to draw a line in the sand as Jesus did in the gospel of John (which in this case would mean preventing the Ombudsman from applying the new rules retroactively to acts committed prior to the signing of such legislation, something that Indonesia did with their Corruption Eradication Commission) and charge our public officials as he did the adulteress, to “go and sin no more”.

Why The Senate Must Convict CJ Corona

Cocoy — Wed, 16 May 2012 00:23:45 +0000

The defense played a game of chicken with chess pieces to get Chief Justice Renato C. Corona off the hook. So on Day 37 of the Impeachment Trial, they called Ombudsman Morales to the stand. It hoped to do two things. First, it meant to discredit the Ombudsman, a former justice of the Supreme Court, by painting her as incompetent and on a fishing expedition. It was meant to paint the Ombudsman, and by virtue the Administration on a witch hunt. Second, prove that Renato C. Corona did not have ill-gotten wealth. If the prosecution did not have proof— no access to the accounts, then there is no proof to convict.

The plan was a stretch of course. It was like playing chicken with headlights. Put it another way, they rolled the dice thinking Morales was a dud.

First, painting the government is on a witch hunt only works with people who have already been drinking Corona’s cool aid, and by extension the Opposition’s cool aid.

Second, the lawyers are blindsided by, well, being lawyers. The lawyers and the law groups have kept on insisting that the trial progress based on the rules of court.

Yes, there has to be some basis for conviction. We are not barbarians. And that civilization is governed by rules, and laws.

What was established by Ombudsman Morales’ testimony? At the very least there is evidence to suggest impropriety by the Chief Justice. 82 dollar accounts in nearly a decade, with money flowing in an out of those accounts and figures large enough that it triggered the Anti-Money Laundering Council Law. And at the most? Damaging evidence that the Chief Justice is guilty of the charges against him.

A layman would suppose that in a normal case— such evidence would be substantial enough that investigators could petition a court of law for those particular bank accounts, and bank records. And when those records are accessible, and proven to be true then investigators could build a case to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Corona had substantial, unexplained wealth.

On Day 38 of the Impeachment Trial, the Senators were asking questions that seem to suggest that they have questions on whether or not the Ombudsman’s testimony is admissible.

If logic would be followed then they would ask the Anti-Money Laundering Council to take the stand. And followed suit by asking the Banks to release those records— or at the very least inquire as to whether the accounts are true. If the records are false then it is AMLC that is at fault.

But this is not an ordinary trial. It isn’t even an ordinary trial in the sense that there has to be beyond a reasonable doubt. If the Impeachment Court does not take the Ombudsman’s testimony into evidence— at the very least the public has already accepted it as evidence.

It could be argued that the public is not the judge of these proceedings. It couldn’t be farther from the truth. The public is the sole judge of an Impeachment Trial. When the envelope wasn’t opened, it caused a Coup d’tat. And not to mention the Senators who voted to keep the enveloped closed lost their jobs. That was ten years ago.

And we are entering an election year. We have senators trying to keep their jobs. And survey after survey revealed that the people will abide by the Senate’s decision. Meaning there will not be a revolution in the streets if Corona is convicted or not convicted.

It doesn’t mean that Senator-Judges will not be judged by their actions.

So the court of public opinion plays a lot in this trial.

That is why this is a political exercise.

The sentence, “This is a political exercise” often rubs those who are pro-Corona the wrong way. It is why they insist in the strictest sense that “The Rule of Law”, be followed. It is not the impeachment court’s job to convict Renato C. Corona on criminal or administrative charges.

Chief Justice Renato C. Corona calls this, a lantern of lies. On December 15, 2011, Ombudsman Morales said that Chief Justice Renato C. Corona withdrew US$769,681.71. Physically that amounts to 1,193 iPhones, priced at US$645 per phone. It translates to PHP 33,936,583.33 Million at an exchange rate of 1 Philippine Peso in US Dollars is 0.02268 for 12/15/2011. Which means it could buy 216,156 Big Macs medium sized meal (PHP157 per meal).

The only way out for Chief Justice Renato C. Corona is simply this. Waive his right on bank secrecy, and allow the banks in question to release the information. It silences his critics, and proves the government of falsifying evidence. He doesn’t even have to take the stand, he just needs the banks to tell the Court that the AMLC report is false.

If the impeachment court should find him not guilty of the charges— in spite of proof he has 82 dollar bank accounts, or if that evidence is suppressed, he would forever be branded as a crook in the eyes of our people. Chief Justice Corona would rant all he likes, but in the back of people’s minds it would always be “Yeah, right”. AMLC’s report is that damaging.

This is why it is a political exercise.

This is how a cynic would argue. “By accepting AMLC as evidence, is that simply opening Pandora’s box— opening countless politician and government official and employee to attack?” How much is that worth to a politician?

This is why the impeachment trial is a political exercise.

A cynic would argue that the most important argument is simply this. “What’s in it for Senator-Judges?” So how much is this verdict worth—- if they convict— would a Senator-Judge win re-election? If they do not convict, would they lose re-election? The last impeachment trial proved fatal for Senators-Judges then.

This is why it is a political exercise. It is a step to righting our ship of state— towards a more equitable society. A conviction will not allow the government to seize Renato C. Corona’s accounts, or take away his assets. That is the job of the courts post impeachment trial. It would seem that the Bureau of Internal Revenue for example would have a case against Renato C. Corona. The Impeachment Court will simply strip away his title, and kick him out of government. 82 dollar accounts is reason enough to kick him out of government—- where is that in his Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth? This is why the Senate must convict Chief Justice Renato C. Corona.

CJ Corona issue statement on Ombudsman’s testimonu

Manuel Buencamino — Mon, 14 May 2012 17:45:15 +0000

Statement of the Pipol Power Institute on the Chinese Government’s Aggressive Acts at Scarborough Shoal

Niña Terol-Zialcita — Sun, 13 May 2012 12:54:11 +0000

Released: May 11, 2012

The Pipol Power Institute, a non-profit organization committed to the realization of People Power ideals and values in Philippine national life and in the international arena, believes that the Philippines has every right to protect and assert its sovereignty in light of the Chinese government’s aggressive acts at Scarborough Shoal.

The Philippines is a sovereign nation, standing at par with other sovereign states in the international community, with a duty to protect its citizens and its territories against unlawful aggression or subversion by other sovereign states.

However, we believe, first and foremost, that military action is NOT the solution to the impasse with China. We support President Benigno Aquino III’s call for sobriety and for the full use of diplomatic and peaceful means in order to resolve the Scarborough Shoal standoff. We reiterate Article II Section 2 of the Philippine Constitution, which states, “The Philippines renounces war as an instrument of national policy, adopts the generally accepted principles of international law as part of the law of the land and adheres to the policy of peace, equality, justice, freedom, cooperation, and amity with all nations.”

We recognize that the people of the Philippines and the people of China have had centuries of peaceful relations relating to trade, commerce, and culture, among others. The Philippines has, in fact, accepted many of China’s people as part of the Philippine national fabric, welcoming many Chinese-born individuals as Filipino citizens. We recognize that, at present, the people of China are the fourth-largest contributors to Philippine tourism and are likewise major contributors to the Philippine economy. Many of our eminent leaders and movers are of Chinese descent. Hence, the inextricable link between our shared histories is undeniable.

However, we wish to oppose—without prejudice to the people of China—the policy of aggression being carried out by its government against Philippine territory. We reiterate the position that Chinese encroachments to the Scarborough Shoal, which is within the 200 nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines, are grave violations of international law and to the sovereignty of the Philippines. We call on the government of the People’s Republic of China to respect Philippine sovereignty—just as much as the Philippine government respects theirs—and to cease and desist from practicing aggressive acts on our territorial waters.

In light of this, we likewise support the Department of Foreign Affairs’ plan to bring this dispute, with or without Chinese support, to the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea. We believe that a diplomatic and/or legal remedy is the best path our country can take. Escalation of hostilities is definitely not an option.

Amid all these, we also recognize and welcome the support of the international community for our humble but sovereign nation, but we also wish to raise the position that we, the Filipino people, are neither beggars nor slaves. While this support is greatly appreciated, we wish to reiterate that the Philippines is a sovereign nation—we will not be subservient to any other foreign power seeking to override Philippine national interest under the guise of international support.

Thus, we call on our Executive and Legislative branches to protect, first and foremost, the interests of the people of the Philippines in resolving the issues at Scarborough Shoal. We urge our diplomats and policymakers to find the most peaceful means to address all parties’ concerns without subverting Philippine sovereignty to any other economic power. We call on our public sector leaders to determine the appropriate policy and conduct of the nation toward this issue, and to determine, most importantly, how such policy and conduct will advance our right as a sovereign nation, as well as our own political and economic interests.

Lastly, we wish to call on our fellow Filipino citizens to refrain from engaging in any warmongering and hate tactics against the people of China, or even against its institutions and entities. Such tactics will not resolve the issue and will only serve to escalate hostilities between our nations. It is, however, the duty of every Filipino, including those that have already sacrificed their lives to defend what is truly ours and to command the respect of the world, to protect our sovereignty even if this requires the supreme sacrifice of our lives.

Ultimately, we believe that diplomacy and peace will prevail, and we enjoin all our fellow Filipinos to actively support and push for a policy of peace in relating to our fellow sovereign nations.

MEDIA ALERT: Habitat for Humanity Philippines Youth Build 2012 (in Navotas City)

Niña Terol-Zialcita — Sun, 13 May 2012 12:52:46 +0000

WHAT: Habitat for Humanity Philippines Youth Build 2012 (in Navotas City)

On Saturday, May 12, 2012, for the first time ever, Habitat for Humanity organized an Asia-Pacific-Wide Youth Build in China, India, Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines with 5,000 volunteers from Generation Now.

The Youth Take On Navotas City Habitat for Humanity Philippines Youth Council Officers FROM LEFT Simon Tantoco, Alexandra 'Alex' Eduque, Kevin Yang and Isabel Martel Francisco will lead 1,000 Filipino Youth build homes for 100 Families at the Habitat Youth Build on Saturday, May 12, 2012, also happening simultaneously in Thailand, China, Indonesia and India.

In the Philippines, the build will be take place in 2 sites: Barangay Tanza, Navotas City and Indahag, Cagayan de Oro City. For each site, there will be 1,000 young Filipino builders building 100 homes.

WHO: Fernando Zobel de Ayala, Susana “Chuchu” Madrigal, Navotas Mayor John Rey Tiangco,
Acting Mayor of Malabon Antolin “Len Len” Oreta, Habitat Youth Council Founder and Chair
Alexandra “Alex” Eduque, Matteo Guidicelli, Cris Villonco, 1000 Generation Now,

100 Habitat Home Recipients.

Interview Opportunities will be available with the persons above and the other Habitat Youth council Officers Isabel Martel Franscisco (President), Kevin Yang (Incoming President), Simon Tantoco, Pedro Roxas, and Sylvia Zobel

WHERE: Sampaguita Dulo, Barangay Tanza, Navotas City

WHEN: May 12, 2012, 9:00am to 2:00pm

9:00am Media Pick-Up at Habitat Office 111 Paseo de Roxas (across from
Greenbelt 1, along AIM)

9:30am Media Pick-Up in Trinoma (in front of Conti’s restaurant)

11:00 to 12:00nn Coverage of Building (Media is free to interview anyone)

12:00 to 1:00pm Lunch and Interview Opportunities

1:00pm to 2:00pm Program Proper

2:15pm Departure for Trinoma and Habitat Office, Makati

MEDIA CHECK IN: (1) 9:00 am Pick-Up in Habitat Makati Office Lobby or (2) 9:30 am Pick up in Trinoma
(Conti’s), or directly at Habitat Site, Sampaguita Dulo, Barangay Tanza, Navotas City
by 11:00am

CONTACTS:

Carissa Villacorta 0917-595-5480 / carissa.villacorta@gmail.com / Carla Pekas 0917-554-07801 / carla.pekas@habitat.org.ph / Krizelle Macam 0905-250-4668 / kmacam@gmail.com / Ryan Songalia 0917-595-5498 / ryansongalia@gmail.com

On same-sex marriage

Manuel Buencamino — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:51:57 +0000

US President Barack Obama endorsed same-sex marriage on the same day that North Carolina voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment defining marriage solely as a union between man and woman. North Carolina becomes the 30th US state to ban same-sex marriage.

Over here same sex marriage is banned by the Family Code:

Article 2. “No marriage shall be valid, unless these essential requisites are present: (1) Legal capacity of the contracting parties who must be a male and a female;”

The Family Code is the first hurdle that advocates of same sex marriage must overcome. They can introduce an amendment to the Family Code to expand the definition of marriage; or they can file a case citing the Code’s definition of marriage as unconstitutional because it is discriminates against the gay,lesbian, bisexual and transgender community and thus violates basic human rights and the equal protection clause.

It will be a tough uphill battle even though practically all Filipino families have at least one member who is an “l”,”g”, “b”, or “t”. Why many Filipinos will deprive their own family the right to live free of discrimination is beyond me. What surprised me even more is that the gay rights Ladlad Party’s entry in Wikipedia says “same-sex marriage is not part of the party’s platform.” What?

The issue of same-sex marriage cannot be left in the hands of politicians. They will have no qualms about sacrificing human rights for political expediency. They will not advocate a controversial issue where they have no guarantee of a political pay-off. But right is right and wrong is wrong and there is nothing more wrong in a democratic society than discrimination against any group, specially a minority and an unpopular one at that.

Religious beliefs and culture are often cited as the basis for opposing same-sex marriages. But cultures evolve and we now live in a secular, democratic, republic where many Filipinos are not members of any religious groups. During the Spanish occupation, government was the handmaiden of religion – priests called the shots – but today religion is the handmaiden of government. These days, churches cooperate and help government implement social, educational, and anti-poverty programs through schools, charity organizations, etc. and not the other way around. Strip away religious belief and the opposition to same-sex marriage is exposed as nothing more than homophobia.

I am heterosexual but I do not condone discrimination against those who are not like me. Those who do not share my sexual orientation have as much right as I do to enjoy the full benefits of all the rights and laws that I enjoy. If I can choose who I want to marry so can they. Same-sex marriage is not about culture, morality, or religion; it is about every human being able to enjoy civil and human rights to the fullest.

Veteran Filipino Comic Book Illustrator Tony DeZuniga dies

Cocoy — Fri, 11 May 2012 09:18:51 +0000

Tony DeZuniga

Veteran Filipino Comic Book artist, and co-creator of Jonah Hex, Tony DeZuniga died early Friday morning. Mr. DeZuniga suffered a stroke a few weeks ago, and many fans locally have come together to lend their support to his family. To many of the local comic book fans, as well as fellow artist, Mr. DeZuniga was one of them. He had work for both Marvel Comics and DC Comics for much of his career.

Fellow veteran Filipino Comic Book writer and artist, Gerry Alanguilan (@komikero) talked about him in a blog post. Here’s a video that @komikero posted:

Jonah Hex is a the star of DC Comics’ All Star Western book. Hex as a Civil War veteran turned bounty hunter. He has appeared in numerous comic book series since his creation, as well as on television— Justice League animated series, and was recently featured in a movie staring Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men) stars as Jonah Hex. Megan Fox played as Jonah’s love interest.

Wake is at the Heritage Park in Taguig, and interment is scheduled on Tuesday.

Image credit: Courtesy Wikipedia, Public Domain.

Cuevas announces scorched earth defense: “Iisa isahin namin yan!”

Manuel Buencamino — Thu, 10 May 2012 04:40:41 +0000

Top technopreneurs to offer “Entrepreneurship Camp” in Cebu City on Monday, May 14

Niña Terol-Zialcita — Wed, 09 May 2012 12:19:40 +0000

Dado-Banatao-Founder-Tallwood-Venture-Capital

High-impact event will bring together “EntrePinoys” to share local and global experiences for individual successes and national development

Filipinos from Silicon Valley, Intel and Microsoft to Share Concrete Steps, Real Tips and True Stories to Success

MANILA, PHILIPPINES (May 9, 2012) - Developers Connect Philippines (DevCon) and the Philippine Development Foundation (PhilDev) are pleased to announce the first-ever Entrepreneurship Camp in Cebu City, Philippines on May 14, 2012, 5pm to 9pm at the Casino Espanol.

Winston Damarillo, Founder of DevCon, and Dado Banatao, Chair of PhilDev are both excited to show why the best targets for entrepreneurship endeavors might be right at our backyard, and how we can enable a world-class environment for local entrepreneurship.

“We at PhilDev believe that truly sustainable economic development can only be realized when we have achieved a critical mass of Entrepreneurs in the country,” said Banatao, who founded three start-ups himself before funding other start-ups with great potential through Tallwood Venture Capital.

“It is important that we provide a pathway for our technologists and engineers to become entrepreneurs,” said Damarillo, himself a highly successful technopreneur having founded software companies Morphlabs and Exist Global, Inc., before founding Developers Connect to discover and nurture the natural capacity of the Filipino to innovate and create. “Our talent pool is scarce and fleeting – it is important to maximize our potential through entrepreneurship.”

Co-hosted by the Philippine Development Foundation (PhilDev) and the Developers Connect (DevCon), the Entrepreneurship Camp offers mentoring opportunities from the top technopreneurs in the industry. This event also provides a venue to discuss and advise the attendees of the current startup trends and practices.

The Entrepreneurship Camp will also feature Eric Manlunas (Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Siemer Ventures), and Alvin Gendrano (Director of Microsoft) who will be sharing concrete steps and real tips on how to start and succeed in your own business. Entrepreneurship Camp is the final event to the Start-Up Weekend Cebu, also supported by DevCon. The Entrepreneurship Camp is free-of-charge.

The speakers will also discuss the PhilDev SuperFund Scholarship Grant, which aims to provide 151 brilliant Filipino students with P1M each to complete degrees in the fields of science and engineering: an important step in the course of learning and contributing to the industry and society.

The Entrepreneurship Camp is also a teaser/trailer to a bigger PhilDev event: “Silicon Valley Comes to the Philippines,” being planned in Cebu or Manila this October 2012.

The Casino Espanol is located at 107-109 V. Ranudo Street in Cebu City 6000.

Members of the media are invited for interview opportunities with Banatao and the other speakers at 4pm.

For more information, please log on to www.devcon.ph / http://entrepcamp.eventbrite.com or call 0917-984-2705 / 0917-595-5480.

The political wind is entirely against Renato C. Corona

Cocoy — Wed, 09 May 2012 01:07:48 +0000

The Impeachment Trial of Chief Justice Renato C. Corona has dragged on for months— perceived by the public as boring and duller, sometimes frustrating, and infuriating. As the trial resumed after a few weeks hiatus, we are now entering the last chapter. Yesterday, the defense agreed to put the Chief Justice on the witness stand. And it now comes to a simple question: “How believable is Renato C. Corona on the witness stand?”

The Chief Justice has for the most part played the wounded, under sieged victim. The Chief Justice played on the card that he is attacked and victimized by an imperial President. And in so doing rallied his own fiefdom— the Courts to his favor.

This has not gained traction.

According to Pulse Asia, 47 percent of Filipinos think Renato C. Corona is guilty, with roughly the same percentages across socio-economic strata. Even more telling is Social Weather Station’s survey that 63 percent of Filipinos believe that Chief Justice Renato C. Corona has hidden wealth based on his Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth.

To put it simply, the Chief Justice lost the public relations war, and he is fast losing the actual war.

The mid-term election is fast coming up. Half the Senate is up for reelection, and naturally the Impeachment Trial of Chief Justice Corona plays a major part in their reelection campaign. Appear in the very least to be unfair, and unjust and they would be voted out of office. That was the lesson of former President Estrada’s impeachment trial.

The winner of this political exercise is of course, President Aquino. A win translates to something he can report on his third state of the nation address. Just to name two, there is progress to be made in education with K+12 initiative— an Aquino campaign promise, and the impeachment of Renato C. Corona is a step towards winning his war on Corruption.

Where does this leave the defense?

The story in its entirety has to be told of course, and we are close to the end now. The Chief Justice has to take the stand in a last ditched effort to win. Renato C. Corona has to prove his innocence, not just to the Senator-Judges, but also to the people watching on television, listening on the radio and tweeting online. If the last six months is of any indication, then it is like climbing a very, very steep mountain. It isn’t entirely possible to do, just a super tall order to overcome. The political wind is entirely against Renato C. Corona.