One of my favorite movies is Independence Day, a 1996 movie which starred Will Smith.
Independence Day is a 1996 American disaster science-fiction action film about an alien invasion of Earth. The narrative focuses on a disparate group of individuals and families as they converge in the Nevada desert and, along with the rest of the human population, participate in a last-chance counterattack on July 4 – the same date as the Independence Day holiday in the United States. It was directed by German director Roland Emmerich, who co-wrote the script with producer Dean Devlin, a Fil-Am.
I recall the big scene when the President of the United States, a role played by Bill Pullman, spoke to his troops - Ace USAF pilots that included Capt. Steven Hiller (Smith) and a motley crew composed of volunteers, in a send off ceremony for them to attack the aliens. It felt like real, although we knew this was just a movie, a make believe.
Not so in the impeachment trial going on in the country right now. Although very real, the witnesses and evidences which were presented do not strike many as factual. Fabricated? Could be.
Chief Justice Corona is on the verge of being convicted. The drama which unfolded last week, May 22 when he appeared as a witness in his trial and May 23, when he came back for the cross examination were the highlights or climax of the trial.
On May 22, Corona gave his testimony, a three-hour long speech and then dashed out of the impeachment court and came back in a wheel chair when Senate President and Presiding Officer Enrile ordered a lock down of the Senate building.
Then on Friday, May 25, Corona came back, humbled and temporarily out of the hospital, to give in to a mellowed cross examination. He asked to be excused this time, and left after five senator-judges questioned him.
Corona in his two-day appearances berated the President of the Philippines and called him a persecutor, his cousin-in-law Jose Basa, a spoiled brat and the Ombudsman, Conchita Carpio-Morales, a liar and asked her if she had a conscience. He also admitted that he has 2.4 million U.S. dollars and about 80 million pesos in banks which he did not declare in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.
Corona cried a lot, too. Dapper in a suit and tie on his first appearance, and wearing a gel on his hair and a barong tagalog on the second day, Corona showed the public that he could deliver according to the promptings of his defense team.
When he suddenly walked out of the impeachment court on May 22nd, all hell broke loose, and the public and the Senators saw a well scripted act. Even the Friday's (May 25) televised - reconciliation between the Basas (cousins of Mrs. Corona and part owners of the original BGEI) and the Coronas didn't escape the sharp eyes of the public - was it all for effect?
Today and tomorrow, May 28 and May 29 are Judgement Day(s) for Chief Justice Corona.
Would it be Independence Day for the Supreme Court and for the country if Corona were to be convicted? Freed from one who'd been accused of coddling ex-President Gloria Arroyo, of flip flopping in high profile cases such as the FASAP, and from one who blatantly used the defense - absolute secrecy of dollar deposits- as an alibi for not declaring truthfully in his SALN.
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