Epilogue

The Good Life with Eli F.J. Tajanlangit

It's been a week since the Senate sitting as an impeachment court convicted Chief Justice Renato Corona, and here is Justice Midas Marquez, now also out as spokesman, on morning teevee still talking about "judicial independence," "transparency," "professionalism."

In between, the telegenic Marquez who stays on as court administrator, squeezes in little details like the hypoglycemic episode – "we did not know what was happening!" – and the lack of evidence against the former CJ -- "why couldn't they have produced at least one witness to say he bribed the CJ" -- all of which leave the impression that Corona was not guilty.

A few days before, one read Corona declaring, rather sanctimoniously, that he was going around the country to campaign for transparency.

While these may sound like innocent media coverage of a historic and unprecedented event, they are starting to fall into a pattern that hopefully we will all be wise enough to catch. Having lost in the impeachment trial, Corona is trying to salvage himself and his reputation by recasting himself, not as a convict, but as an activist for transparency and justice. It helps his cause that the Hacienda Luisita workers are on his side, hailing him as their champion.

The problem with a truly free press is that it can also be muddled by ignorant, irresponsible and even just by plainly, lazy practitioners. Worse, it can also be dirtied by paid hacks whose slant is for sale. And all these, only an enlightened media audience can counter. After all, media integrity and responsibility can never be legislated.

The point here is, you, dear reader, has as much responsibility as media practitioners to keep the press and information flow free and healthy, to make sure we do not dim the light of truth.

Corona and his fans, headed by Marquez, have all the right to push their agenda in the media; that is something enshrined in the Constitution, that every citizen has the right to a fair hearing, be it in media or in the courts. They have all the right to wage whatever advocacy they want. It is up to us to sift through their announcements and actuations and see what exactly is the truth.

This is why it is also important for the administration to continue pressing its case against Corona at this point. It is only fair to keep the case why Corona was impeached alive in the media so people know exactly what this story is all about. People do have short memories, and given the efficient media machinery behind Corona, there really is a real danger only his side of the story will end up as The Story.

Perhaps, it is wise for the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Ombudsman to pursue their probe on Corona's wealth. This way, the public continues to see the side opposed to Corona. We owe it to ourselves to see the whole picture. It is very Pinoy to forgive, to stop when a person is down and out. This is why even senators who had convicted Corona is already calling for a stop to the continuing investigation into his wealth. But this is not an ordinary case. This is about a Chief Magistrate who couldn't measure up to the steep standards we have set for that position. This is about our sacred institutions and keeping them sacred.

It is going to be a tragedy if, after all the time and resources we have expended in impeaching Corona, in the avowed administration goal of cleansing the judiciary, we will all end up believing the Senate committed a mistake in convicting him.

As for us ordinary mortals and media consumers, it looks like the national teleserye we had all watched has an epilogue, may kasunod na kabanata and it looks like we need to continue watching it.*

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