A Regional Trial Court judge has emphasized the need to preserve and maintain the integrity of the courts as the impeachment trial of the highest magistrate of the country ended its seventh day yesterday.

RTC Branch 34 Judge Rosendo Bandal Jr. said that once the image of the judiciary is destroyed or eroded, it is government that will suffer most, because people will go to the streets, or to the mountains and take the law into their own hands.

“It becomes funny if you are observing the proceedings, and it would appear that the prosecution is not only unprepared but lack the necessary skills to counter the expertise of the defense lawyers,” Bandal said.

He said, that, in the first place, the impeachment complaint is hastily made with obvious defects. Under Article 2, he said, it is basic in criminal law that only one allegation should be contained in one charge sheet, contrary to what was presented with three separate criminal acts which is not legally possible.

Meanwhile, Rep Jocelyn Limkaichong (Neg. Or., 1st District) said the impeachment proceeding is a class of its own, to really determine if allegations are true or not.

It is for this reason that she was one of the 188 Congressmen who signed the impeachment complaint. She, however, admitted she was not able to read all the pages of the impeachment complaint, but understands the spirit and its purpose, for the truth to come out.*JG

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