WHEN kibitzer Jose barged in and in high pitch announced “I know who she is!” repeatedly like a parrot – I thought he meant the “small lady” who supposedly handed Rep. Reynaldo Umali copies of Chief Justice Renato Corona’s bank documents.

Put everything about Umali’s little lady for the meantime, perhaps better yet for good.

To the coffeeshop bunch’s delight this corner’s resident snoop was referring to the lovely, fair-skinned girl with the soulful eyes who’s always seated on the front row of the Senate gallery. She makes the sight of some Senator-Judges who take to the podium bearable.

Let’s protect her privacy and settle for just her initials. MJ is connected with the Senate Secretariat and reportedly hails from Cavite. That MJ is married is no deterrent to Jose’s ardent admiration. Like the many other hot-blooded males who religiously follow the Corona impeachment trial on television, our kibitzer is a devotee professedly of every other beauty in skirts.

Is this bit of data on MJ and her impact on Jose and his ilk meant to trivialize Streetlights’ take on the proceedings at the Impeachment Court? No way absolutely. We may have raised eyebrows but assuredly no question about the hair stylist of Corona lead  counsel former Associate Justice Serafin Cuevas.

Editorially, neither have we wondered if Senator-Judge Lito Lapid would finally make a serious manifestation or pose a profound question. Neither has it even crossed our mind to take issue with the mangled diction of certain participants in the trial or mauling of the words “testimony” or “colloquy,” among other frequent visitors of the language of court.

Lighter moments might have attended the proceedings. Then again, Presiding Senator-Judge Juan Ponce Enrile has been remarkably keeping a firm grasp on the conduct of the trial. He has had to lecture both defense and prosecution, more often the latter, on the impeachment rules that govern the presentation of witnesses and  evidence.

In last Tuesday’s hearings, even non-lawyers watching the proceedings in court or live on TV would have cringed, for sure, when JPE sharply, in no uncertain terms, told Congressman-Prosecutor Rodolfo Farinas the conduct of the prosecution betrayed the abject lack of preparation to competently indict the Chief Justice.

At one point in Corona’s trial for Article 3, JPE had to dismiss the prosecution witness, vice president for sales of Philippines Airlines, as his presence was ruled irrelevant to the specific complaint versus the impeached CJ.

Trivialized judicial history in the making? Traced the lovely gallery lady’s soulful eyes lifting heavenward, Jose, given the number of times the defense have punched holes at will in the prosecution’s arguments, manifestation and witness/evidence presentations.

Court black belter Cuevas has been able to continually pin down while belter Tupas et al on the mat. Weeks of tedium are upon us, folks, let’s pray the lovely lady will still be there at the gallery for us to break the boredom.