Guilt, reelection, party lines

SIX senators with plans to seek reelection in May 2013 voted to declare Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona guilty of Article II of the artices of impeachment, for culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust.

The six reelectionists are Alan Peter Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero, Aquilino ‘Koko’ Pimentel III, Gregorio ‘Gringo’ Honasan II, and Antonio Trillanes IV.

Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is the only senator who will serve until 2016 who voted to acquit Corona.

Second-term Senator Joker Arroyo who bows out in May 2013 voted to acquit Corona; second-term senator Miriam Defensor Santiago whose term ends in 2016 yet — but has to join the International Criminal Court shortly — also voted to acquit Corona.

The senators who will serve until May 2013 who cast guilty votes were Edgardo Angara, Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan, Panfilo ‘Ping’ Lacson, and Manuel ‘Manny’ Villar Jr. These senators, however, are barred from running in the 2013 elections because they are serving their second consecutive six-year term in the Senate.

The senators who will serve until 2016 who cast guilty votes were Jinggoy Estrada, Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., Franklin Drilon, Ralph Recto, TG Guingona, Serge Osmena, Pia Cayetano, Lito Lapid, Tito Sotto, and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

By all indications, the senators crossed party lines. Those for acquittal came from two political parties — Senators Arroyo of Lakas-Kampi, and Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Bongbong Marcos of the Nacionalista Party.

The votes for convicton came from nearly all the political parties represented in the Senate, as well as from three independent senators.

They include Senators Recto, Drilon, Guingona, and Pangilinan of the Liberal Party that is chaired by President Benigno Simeon Aquino III;

Senators Legarda, Escudero, and Sotto of the Nationalist People’s Coalition-NP;

Senators Lapid and Revilla of Lakas-Kampi;

Senators Pimentel and Osmena of the PDP-Laban:

Senator Estrada of the Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino;

Senator Angara of the Laban ng Demoratikong Pilipino; and

Independent Senators Honasan, Lacson, and Trillanes.