Miriam berates prosecution: ‘
‘Nagbibiro lang ba kayo?’

PROSECUTION LAWYERS felt the fiery and blistering ire of Senator-Judge Miriam Defensor Santiago today as she alternately scolded and questioned them for withdrawing five of the eight articles of impeachment that they filed against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Santiago said she was “very concerned” with the decision by the prosecution to rest its case after only presenting evidence on Articles 2, 3, and 7, and dropping Articles 1, 4, 5, 6, and 8.

Santiago said prosecutors had been misleading the court and pandering to the public by deciding to cut short its presentation of evidence. “In my entire career as an RTC judge of Quezon City, I have never seen a lawyer withdraw a course of action that he told the court he would present evidence on.”

For this, Santiago said, the prosecutors could be held liable for contempt by the impeachment court for misleading the impeachment court and for wasting the time of the judges.

Santiago said she had demanded a list of witnesses that the prosecution and defense planned to present to the impeachment court. All of a sudden, she said, the prosecutors decide to cut short the presentation of their witnesses and evidence.

“Nagbibiro ba kayo?” Santiago said. “In writing, sinabi ninyo na so many witnesses (ang iprepresent ninyo,) and ngayon sasabihin ninyo that the case is very strong and no longer want to present.”

“You are prejudging the case. What are you doing, conducting trial by publicity? This is not to be decided on by the reading or the viewing public or any public. Igalang ninyo naman kami. I feel like creeping back to bed and adopting a fetal position, which is the normal reaction of any sane person when the world is crumbling around him,” she said.

Prosecutors and Senator-Judges sat stunned and silent as Santiago laid out her ill-feelings.