BEFORE proceeding, here’s best wishes and a prayer for the speedy recovery of the wife of Mr. Jun Golingho, who just suffered a stroke. Magpalakas ka po agad, madam, ‘di ba, boss Frank Carreon?

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To those asking yours truly on how our non-lawyer senators can be expected to appreciate the legal niceties involved during the impeachment trial of CJ Renato Corona that is to begin this month, the answer is quite simple: they plan to temporarily hire legal “consultants” to guide them throughout the entire drama, err, proceeding.

And this should be the case if our lawmakers, now senator-judges, are to arrive at a more objective appreciation of the evidence and testimonies for and against the embattled chief justice.

This, of course, is on the firm belief that passing judgment on the country’s highest-ranking magistrate should conform to the strictest rules that any impartial tribunal can impose.

The perception of neutrality and objectivity is of course important if the Senate is to maintain its reputation as the last bastion of our independence and democracy.

But then, Sen. Antonio ‘Sonny’ Trillanes IV, the ex-rebel junior officer-turned legislator, may have issued the frankest position on what CJ Corona’s trial is all about: a political exercise that, stripped down to the barebones, respects no process or evidence and only bows to the tide of public opinion.

As he puts it in the statement he released yesterday: “Having established that impeachment is a political process, therefore, my verdict should not be based solely on evidence as it now becomes a matter of public policy.

“And the over-arching policy issue in this whole impeachment episode is whether the conviction or acquittal of CJ Renato Corona would be good for the country. To resolve this, I intend to use political acceptability as the sole criterion to evaluate the projected outcomes of either policy alternative of conviction or acquittal.”

Stated differently, Sen. Trillanes is supporting the Palace’s position that CJ Corona’s removal from the Supreme Court is an exercise in “good” politics and P-Noy’s version of good governance.

On the other hand, CJ Corona’s camp should interpret this to mean that they would be foolhardy to pin their hope of acquittal or dismissal of the charges against him on the merit of their counter-evidence or counter-arguments.

As things stand now, the process is not about the substance but merely the form, not about the truth but merely the presentation.

As Sen. Trillanes also reminds everyone, this looming impeachment trial is much like the decades-old civil conflict between the government and the communists -- a fight about winning the “heart and mind” of the people -- and the rule of law, the truth and decency be damned.

Sa madaling salita, higit sa mga abogado, teknikalidad at ligalidad, “pagalingan” ngayon ang mga media “consultants” at “spin masters” ng magkalabang kampo, hehehe! Pasali naman, Pareng Eric Garafil, hahaha!

ONCE MORE FOR CAAP

I have to admit, DOTC Sec. Mar Roxas, my column last Saturday about the goings on at the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP), surprised me too over the barrage of reaction it got, thru text and email, from PT readers.

And frankly speaking, CAAP DG Ramon Gutierrez and ADG Elmer Peña, nothing good was mentioned about your management style or your characters.

From the dozen or so readers who sent their opinion, about four of them even volunteered “information” as to the extent of anomalies that remain unattended -- and now malignant -- from the time the two of you gets to be appointed at the CAAP.

In fact, a soon-to-be-launched ‘civic organization’ wanting to help P-Noy combat corruption informed me they are focusing their attention on DG Gutierrez and why his appointment at the CAAP is not only an anomaly insofar as P-Noy’s “daang matuwid” platform is concerned.

More importantly, the sender stressed why Gutierrez, Peña and the other recommendees of ES Paquito ‘Jojo’ Ochoa to the CAAP should be given their walking papers immediately -- they are all incompetent and not up to the challenges facing that DOTC line agency.

At kung totoo naman na may malasakit din si ES Ochoa sa gobyernong Aquino, aba’y siya na ang kumausap sa mga pinagsasalpak niya d’yan sa CAAP na puwede ba, mga bosing, magsilayas na kayong lahat, please lang!

And just to make their resignation justifiable, Sec. Mar, pakiantay na lang ang tinatapos kong special report hinggil d’yan sa CAAP.

Ditto, Pagcor chair, Bong Naguiat, you may want to revisit the issue I raised in this corner several editions ago as regards the abusive members of the Hyatt casino internal security (IS) who continue to give Pagcor a bad name.

Aber, pansamantala lang daw natigil ang kabastusan ng mga ito sa pakikitungo sa mga nagpupunta d’yan sa Hyatt at balik na naman sa kanilang pagiging mga arogante!

Partikular na inirereklamo ay itong isang alias “Guimbal” na talaga umanong kagimbal-gimbal ang dalang kayabangan sa katawan!

Dati lang umano itong “Jaguar” as in “sikyu,” na nabigyan ng promotion at ngayong IS na, aba’y sobrang “angas” na daw?

Kaya ang pakiusap, ibalik mo na lang itong si Guimbal sa pagiging sikyu sa labas ng Hyatt bagaman mas mainam kung sibakin mo na agad itong isang ito, please lang daw, chairman!

And don’t be surprised too, Chairman Bong, if one of these days, you found outside your office a few of Hyatt’s habitué and visitors willing to give you their tale of woes in the hands of these Hyatt Gestapo.

At hindi lang ‘yan, Chairman Bong. Pati umano pagpa-ban sa mga pumapasok sa Hyatt, aba’y pinagkikitaan na rin ng ilang IS!

‘Yun bang...basta may “hatag,” iba-ban nila ang sino man na pumasok sa mga casino ng Pagcor, tsk,tsk,tsk!

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