The Philippine Online Chronicles

TGIF! Thank God, it’s Friday. And while we are on a break from the Corona Impeachment Trial, let’s review what we have learned in so far as impeachment terms are concerned. Yes, watching the impeachment trial proceedings is indeed an educational experience, not only for the learned, but for the ordinary Pinoys as well. Not only do we learn to find ways to stay awake during the most boring and tedious moments or learn how to manipulate the jump button on the remote so we can watch the trial and another more interesting show at the same time, we can also pick up a few new vocabulary words.

Of course, leave it to Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago to educate the public on the use of words not used in ordinary conversations. This lady lets some multi-syllabic verbs, nouns and adjectives that we didn’t even know existed! Who can forget discombobulate?! She’s been known to use some big words, and she’s being true to form as seen in the recent proceedings.

Here are a few words that you may have heard tossed around during the last few weeks. Given are the actual definitions of the word, as well as how it has been used or applied in the recent weeks with regards to the impeachment trial. As you will see, the official definition of the word may not necessarily be how it has been practiced or applied with regards to this trial.

Impeachment

The word impeachment has been thrown around like a basketball at a UAAP game the last few years in this country. Now even the balut vendor knows what the word is, though he’d probably tell you “matanggal sa pwesto kasi kurakot.”

Wikipedia defines the word impeachment as “a formal process in which an official is accused of unlawful activity, the outcome of which, depending on the country, may include the removal of that official from office as well as other punishment.”

This isn’t the first time impeachment has been heard in this country. After all, it’s been more than a decade since we first used this constitutional provision against President Erap Estrada.

In the case of Corona, an impeachment proceeding is the way the Aquino government is going after those he doesn’t want in government, especially those placed by his predecessor, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, who herself has managed to avoid getting impeached despite various allegations of corruption and election manipulation.

The prosecution is using the impeachment trial to shame, humiliate and force the Supreme Court Chief Justice to bow out since he didn’t want to resign. It’s an excuse to go on a fishing expedition, bring to attention the tax under filings of the entire Corona family and to show all the property he bought before he even became Chief Justice of the land.

Articles of Impeachment

These are the items, basis or complaints against an accused as to why someone should be impeached.

Each example or each item or action should be one article of impeachment. This means that if there are 30 different instances wherein an elected official has demonstrated that he has violated the law with regard to his position, then that is one impeachable offense. That means you can have a really long list showing the different articles of impeachment.

The Corona impeachment complaint has eight articles listed.

However, the prosecution team has taken it upon themselves to put in 40 instances of impeachable acts under one article. The Senate President even had to point it out to the prosecution team, as if to say, “Don’t you know how to write a correct impeachment complaint?!”

Because this isn’t the way an impeachment complaint is supposed to be written, the senator judges now have to make the adjustments and correction on the complaint through a caucus (that’s when they gather together to vote on something).

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Sententious

To be sententious means to be preachy or always moralizing. It can refer to someone who is self righteous.

There’s a lot of that going on even before the impeachment trial in all levels of government, but it’s fun to hear Senator Miriam say it to a prosecuting attorney, as used by the feisty senator in a sentence when addressing Atty. Lim:

“Do not override me… We’ve already heard that in your pleadings, in your subpoena… don’t be sententious because every hour counts!”

That’s a good word to keep in mind, since it can apply to just about anyone. Every time an elected official goes to the media and berates the opposition (regardless of which political party is the sitting administration), they are being sententious.

Everyone has his own skeletons in his closet, whether it’s withholding the release of the pork barrel funds to congressmen you don’t like, or the misappropriation of the said pork barrel funds, under-declaration of taxes or assets and liabilities, not delivering on campaign promises, or blaming the past administration or opposition for your woes or vote buying. So that means no one has the right to be sententious.

When PNoy is brandishing all the bad stuff that his predecessor did, all the while that the economy is further slipping down, he is being sententious.

When former President Arroyo is fighting back at PNoy through the essay she was able to write while in the hospital, itemizing all the good her administration was able to do economically and pointing out just how sucky PNoy is when it comes to economics, she is being sententious. She may have a point, but she is also being sententious.

Colloquy

This refers to a discussion. This is how Miriam used it in a sentence, again while addressing Atty. Lim, “Don’t engage in a colloquy with me!”

In this country, there’s way too much senseless colloquy going on and not enough intelligent action.

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Inhibit

The defense panel has asked that Senator Drilon inhibit or restrain himself from participating in the impeachment proceedings. This is because the defense team feels that Drilon is a better prosecutor than the prosecuting team. For one thing, he was able to compel the Supreme Court Clerk of Court Enriqueta Vidal to produce the SALN of Corona, even after Mario Bautista was unsuccessful in doing so.

However, it is up to the Senator Judge whether he wants to inhibit himself or not. In this case, he decided to proceed and no one could stop him.

Senator Santiago also used it to warn Atty. Lim, “Be careful because I might request to inhibit you, or disqualify you from appearing here.”

The prosecution, senators and anyone involved in the trial should inhibit themselves from talking too much to the media and allow the facts to speak for themselves. The President himself should inhibit from making comments about this trial.

Presumption of…

There are some things that you can presume even if you are faced with what seems to be the contrary, such as the presumption of innocence till proven guilty, or the presumption that Santiago can read a document (as in, with the presumption of literacy).

Will the prosecution team treat the senators with presumption of literacy? Should Corona bank on the presumption that justice will be served? Will any senator inhibit himself from the trial? Will everyone stop acting sententious and engage in colloquy? Is the trial being conducted with the presumption of innocence until proven guilty (not to the masa after all the incriminating revelations made to the media!)

Will Corona get impeached based on the articles of impeachment? Who knows?! But in the meantime, it’s a sideshow circus and the impeachment trial is an opportunity to pander to our voyeuristic side, and a great way to educate ourselves on the many words of the English language.

Photo from Philippine Senate. Some rights reserved.