The Senate judges should end the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Ranato Corona soon and decide impartially on whether to convict or acquit him, former senator Juan Miguel Zubiri said yesterday.

They need to speed up the process because the impeachment trial is taking the time of the country’s legislators away from acting on important measures, Zubiri said, citing the bill on the universal health care program, and the need to amend the Juvenile Justice Law.

The impeachment trial is too divisive and will affect the country’s economy if it drags on, he added.

Zubiri also claimed that the prosecution has been doing a terrible job at presenting evidence. The prosecutors are not presenting their own evidence, they are asking the impeachment court to issue subpoenas so they can get their evidence, he said.

He noted that voting 13-10, the Senate sitting as an impeachment court ruled to respect the temporary restraining order of the SC to prevent the opening of Corona’s foreign currency accounts with Philippine Savings Bank.

The 13-10 vote could be an indication of the fate of Cornona, he said, pointing out that only eight votes among the senator judges are needed for the chief justice, who is seen as a midnight appointee of former president Gloria Arroyo, to win an acquittal.

The executive branch should also refrain from issuing statements to the senators on how to vote because they should decide as impartial judges, Zubiri added.

Zubiri announced his resignation from the Senate on August 3, 2011 following allegations of poll fraud during the 2007 senatorial elections by former president Arroyo. He, however, denied any part in the alleged poll fraud.

He is on indefinite leave as a member of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD political party of Arroyo, under which he ran in his bid for the Senate in 2008.

Meanwhile, Zubiri said he launching the Pilipinas Eco Warriors in Quezon City today to come up with one million volunteers nationwide using Facebook, Twitter and a website to report abuses to the environment so they can be acted on.

The campaign is being implemented in partnership with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, he said.

Zuibiri also said the Philippine sugar industry that is faced with low prices this crop year could address the problem by using part of its produce for the production of alternative fuel.

This will create an additional demand for sugarcane and bring prices up, he said.

“My dream is make Negros Occidental the Brazil of the Philippines with its production of ethanol from sugarcane,” he said.*CPG

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