INSIDE CONGRESS
By Efren L. Danao

The impeachment of former Chief Justice Renato Corona is unquestionably the top story in Congress in 2012.

The Senate, sitting as impeachment court, conducted 44 days of trial before finding Corona guilty of the supreme crime of not declaring fully his assets, liabilities and net worth. Wait! Did I say “supreme?” Well, it should be for why should he be impeached if that’s not a high crime?

But, if that’s a high crime, how come many legislators, including Corona’s prosecutors, have refused to declare their Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth? Why should they excoriate Corona for a “crime” that they themselves are guilty of committing? Ah, but there’s a difference. It’s Corona who was accused and not the legislators. Simple, my dear Watson.

The “guilty” verdict of the Senate impeachment court may not have been appreciated by some. Nevertheless, the fair handling of the proceedings by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile is beyond doubt well received by all. It’s no wonder that JPE has been getting high ratings in nationwide surveys. Sadly, his high ratings have also propped up the senatorial aspirations of his son and namesake who’s one of the top absentees in the House.

Corona was not convicted of graft and corruption. He did not have undeclared 82 dollar accounts totaling $12 million nor 45 real estate properties as charged by the prosecutors. He had “only” $2.4 million in 4 bank deposits and only 5 properties. The amount, however, was of no moment to the senator-judges who believed that these assets were not declared correctly or in a timely manner.

The impeachment of Corona was a victory for President Benigno Aquino who had never masked his disdain for the former chief magistrate. Aquino said that Corona as CJ was the main stumbling block in his fight against corruption. Now that Corona is out, how’s the fight against corruption going? I don’t see much progress in this campaign. Come to think of it, neither has the campaign against unemployment and crime made any progress. Perhaps, if only the administration had given as much attention to these vital issues as it did to the impeachment of Corona, we should have been much better.          
 
Laws passed
Among the more high-profile laws passed by Congress in 2012 were the Responsible Parenthood Law, more popularly called the Reproductive Health Law, the law increasing the excise tax rate on “sin” products, the law institutionalizing kindergarten education, and the Involuntary Disappearance Act.

The RH measure pitted the administration against the Catholic Church. The initial indifference or opposition to the bill by congressmen, shown by the frequent absence of quorum, was immediately overcome by the President. How? Ah, but Malacanang has been denying that it dangled “pork” to induce these renegades to support the measure!

The debates in the Senate on the RH bill were emotionally charged. Sen. Pia Cayetano, the bill sponsor, did not falter in facing the stiff opposition posed by JPE and Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito Sen” Sotto 3rd. Tito Sen even became the object of cyber-bullying over alleged plagiarism of write-ups and speeches on the subject. He has never claimed authorship of the “plagiarized” quotes but his bashers went to town with their unfounded charges.

The year 2012 will end without the House’s passing the much-awaited Freedom of Information Act—despite campaign promises by the President to push for it, and despite the fact that the chairman of the House Committee on Public Information, Rep. Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar, is a former newsman. The Senate, on the other hand, has passed on third and final reading its counterpart bill, called the People’s Ownership of Government Information (POGI) Act of 2012. Senators Gringo Honasan and Loren Legarda are the authors of this measure.

Among the many laws of local application passed by Congress are those establishing national high schools. Some such laws are worth mentioning because they seek to start a new trail in secondary education. Among them are Republic Act 10255 establishing the Bagumbayan Agro-Industrial High School in Lupon, Davao Oriental, and RA 10284 establishing a Computer Science High School in Pili, Camarines Sur.

Congress also passed laws creating an additional congressional district in Cotabato, Palawan,  Bukidnon and Quezon City. This means the 16th Congress that will convene in July 2013 will have 234 district congressmen.

Rep. Ruben Ecleo Jr. of Dinagat Island was dropped from the rolls after his conviction of murder on final judgment. He’s still on the lam. The year 2012 saw the death of Rep. Iggy Arroyo of Negros Occidental, Rep. Sonny Escudero of Sorsogon, Rep. Antonio Diaz of Zambales and Rep. Erico Aumentado of Bohol. May they rest in peace.

This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.